Child of Darkness
by AkariZeriChana-newAmerica
Summary: The Volturi discover a small child with an extraordinary gift and raise her as one of their own. She craves a normal life, an escape from darkness. But the darker secret of who and what she is can't be escaped. Full summary inside, T for swears, plz r&r!
1. Prolouge Ignorance

**Okay, so, I don't usually write stories solo, but this is my experiment. I share this profile with Akari and Chana, so they helped me with editing and spelling, but hopefully my English is good enough :) Anyways, this story is called **_Child of Darkness_** and it's an idea I thought of mostly because of Jane, 'cuz she's a kid. **

**Summary- What if the Volturi discovered a human child with an extraordinary gift? Her name is Rebecca. They save her from a pre-mature death and raise her until she is old enough to be turned. Although her life is altered, and it is discovered that she is more than human, she wants her own life. The Volturi have altered her view on the world, she is cynical, cruel, mistrusting, and dangerous. But when she gets a second chance, and finally gets to live on her own… will she be able to find who she is so desperately searching for, or will she loose herself?**

**And more importantly, will the Volturi, and other immortals of different kinds chasing her catch her? This story mirrors the Cullens story, as Carlisle plays a big part in 'waking' Rebecca up, and Edward does end up in Italy, asking to die. Moreover, I plan to have Rebecca eventually end up in America, seeking out Carlisle to ask some questions, but maybe she'll find a little more than answers…**

**So, read it please, and let me know what you think! **

**-~^Zeri^~-**

**Child of Darkness**

Prologue : Ignorance

**Heidi POV-**

"Master," I said quietly, bowing before him.

"What have you found that is so interesting, Heidi?"

I stood up and faced Aro, "The village plans to burn one of their children today." I said. Aro blinked twice, and leaned back,

"They haven't done that for over one hundred years." He mused, "What is the reason this time?"

"They believe she isn't human, but a monster of sorts." I said, I saw Caius lean forward. "They say she is too strong, too smart, and too fast for a child of her age… and has tortured one of the villagers pet dog to death… with her mind." I said carefully. "They say her eyes change color and that she must be possessed by the devil."

Aro sighed heavily, "Humans destroy what they cannot understand." He closed his eyes, deep in thought. "Who is this child?"

"Her name is Rebecca, Rebecca Medachi."

"And how old is this odd child?" Caius demanded.

"Four years old."

"They are truly burning a baby." Marcus muttered, shaking his head. "What a shame, I thought perhaps there had been some hope left for the human race." He muttered.

"Perhaps…"

"I assume, this child knows what the village is planning to do to her?" Demitri stepped forward.

I paused, "Perhaps… her family is from England, they moved here once she was born. Her father has been trying to protect her… but it isn't working. Her mother disappeared after she was born, no reason was given."

"You asked them?" Demitri hissed.

"No, they gossip as though the rest of the town were deaf." I snapped back. Lately, Demitri had been extremely condescending towards me, and I really didn't understand why. I fumed silently, at his impatience and unnecessary anger towards me. The Guard had never had the slightest internal problems before, but now he was…

Aro was staring at me patiently, with a small smile.

"My apologies." I muttered.

Aro smiled, "Heidi, this news makes me incredibly happy." He said, "This is good news. From what we've heard, a girl with a natural gift can go missing and no one will notice nor care."

"Except her father." I muttered.

"Her father… can easily be dealt with."

"Human ignorance…" Aro started, "Ignorance itself actually, may lead to terrible things. In this case, burning a child at the stake."

**A/N- The prologue doesn't really do much for me, but I hope you guys like it. More to come, and a lot more, chapter one will be up really soon, I have it done, just have to post it. Review please! **

**-Zeri**


	2. Chapter 1 Facing Death

**Chapter One- Facing Death**

"No, you can't do this!" The man shouted again, trying to force his way past his captors, "You can't take her!"

"Shut up!" The woman hissed, her name was Violetta, she was in charge of the entire village. She drew her hand back and slapped him across the face.

The man toppled backwards and the door was slammed shut, then swiftly locked behind him. He managed one more tormented cry, the cry a father would make until his dying breath, before he lapsed into unconscious. "Rebecca".

The people moved, the earth beneath their feet quaked in fear as their own poisonous anger and violent intentions shook the village to its core. Violetta stalked over to the center of the village, and they people, entranced by the way she wielded her newfound power, stacked the wood around a tall pole, reaching skyward. Its top barely kissed the sky, as if its arm were open and praying to the heavens. Each person brought logs, the constant dull thuds of the wood on wood piling higher resonated in one poor girl's ears. They were like the footsteps of death drawing ever nearer.

She was a child, but treated worse than an animal. Ever since… _no,_ she thought pointedly, suppressing a sob and gritting her teeth. She would shed no tears for them. Her father had rocked her to sleep last night and told her this. He told her they would try to break her, kill her… and he may fail to protect her. But they must not see her tears, she must remain strong. For they were wrong, and though they will not see it now… perhaps one day…

One day, she thought, one day I will not see that day. She savored each breath now, sweet and flavorful. One may not pause to truly enjoy life until you are about to be robbed of it, she thought sadly. Though most realize this in a slightly morose way, at a ripe old age, when their parents have long since been laid to a peaceful rest in the earthen ground, she realized this so much earlier. It didn't seem fair, that her life be cut so short, but to her… it was part of life. Life had never been fair to her but torturous in its tests and trails. Her mother had disappeared the day she was born. Rather, she disappeared before that, but came back for one day to drop her baby off with its father. Mrs. Medachi was presumed dead, and Rebecca was to blame.

And then the dog, oh the poor dog! She had just wanted it to leave her alone. But it started foaming at the mouth, and kept trying to push her and bite her.

She used to be so happy and joyful. She was the girl radiated brightness, that cheered the sad and made the doubtful laugh. Valle-Celeste was a tiny village in the shadow of mountains, and Rebecca had been the light. She was the happiness that flowed through the tiny village like the river down by the banks. But Violetta, the name was tainted by twisted and angry emotions in Rebecca's head, _Violetta_, the new girl, so self-righteous, so… so convinced that she could bring about the re-birth of Christ if everyone could clean their sins. And she had seen Rebecca once. Once. Then more times, night and evening, when she walked to collect firewood even! She was like poison, too. She snaked into the village, uninvited and unnoticed until it was far too late.

They actually hadn't noticed yet. But they would eventually, after they killed any others Violetta declared sinners, damned, or those she saw to be in perdition.

_Violetta._

Like acid on the tongue, like ash covering the sky, like blindness sweeping through the land as though it were the common cold. _Violetta._

Forgiveness, her father had always said, forgiveness was divine. But this odd hatred was so new and powerful, like a fire in her heart. She could not forgive this. What would soon be past, could she forgive her own death? How can you forgive, be the 'better person' and 'let bygones be bygones' when the wrong that was done was murder? Especially if this murder were _your own._

Could you forgive your own death?

After all, she doubted they would regret a thing. As she watched them, cheerfully stacking wood that would be the fuel to the fire. They so happily built up her death, so anxiously awaited her demise.

* * *

Her heart was racing, pounding in her chest. She pulled and twisted, all previous calm and morbid thoughts were gone. Now, it all was relinquished to instinctual struggle. Oh, she thought bitterly, they had to use _chains_. No, not _rope_ like normal witch-burning-freaks, they tied me to a post with metal chains! Her thoughts echoed in her brain loudly, accompanied by the sound of her teeth grating and grinding on each other as she strained.

"Bex." It was a sigh. Rebecca paused, and looked up hearing her pet name. "Bex, you…" Violetta. Violetta sighed and looked down, cocking her head to one side. "You could have just admitted it… used it to help Valle-Celeste… instead of burning dogs." She sneered the last words at Rebecca.

Bex looked at her sadly, "You would have not believed me." She said seriously, then her voice became icy and cold. "How does it feel… to burn a little child. Does it make you happy? Does the fact that you will never be able to preach 'thou shalt not kill' with a proper face again bother you?" She said with dark eyes.

Violetta paused, "Perhaps I will go to hell. Doing the work of the Lord is not always clean… but I believe he will understand."

"You'll burn in hell." Bex sighed out, as though she were disappointed.

"And you will burn in this life… and the next." Violetta narrowed her eyes.

Bex glowered furiously.

"Alright people," Violetta started, "clear out and leave it to burn." The villagers slowly left. The was a click, Bex's eyes zeroed in on the match in Violetta's hand.

"Ironic, if you were able to control it more," She held the math within inches of Bex's face, "You'd be able to save yourself." Bex didn't flinch, but held a steady face, the flame dancing in her dark eyes. She spit right in Violetta's face.

Heidi was watching the whole scene with Felix. They waited quietly, tucked into the dark woods that surrounded the village. They watched as Violetta dropped the match, then turned and walked away without so much as a backwards glance. Heidi went to make her move, Felix grabbed her shoulder, he shook his head.

"Wait. Some of the wood must be burned or the humans will be suspicious. If they hear her screams, they will be convinced."

"But…" Heidi muttered, "She could die."

"We'll be careful. Watchful." He muttered back.

Meanwhile, the flames began eating away at the giant pile of logs. Bex narrowed her eyes and leaned her head back. "If there is a God," She murmured, "_Help."_ The flames roared higher, completely surrounding the tiny child.

"Uh-oh." Heidi mouthed.

Felix stared as the tiny girl concentrated hard on the flames. They flickered momentarily, then as a drop of sweat fell from her cheek, she seemed to lose the suppressive control she had on the flames. Felix nor Heidi had realized she had been suppressing them at all, nor how immediate the reaction would be.

The flames roared upwards, engulfing the lower half of the child's body. A shrill scream pierced the silence in perfect time with the sun slipping behind the horizon. A soon as the light disappeared, Felix sprinted forward, Heidi right behind him. The girl thrashed and shrieked, but couldn't break the chains tying her to the stake.

"Carefully!" Heidi whispered urgently. Felix nodded and reached over the flames, pulling the chains apart as though they were merely yarn. Heidi reached for the child, and wrapped one arm around her small frame as the child began to pitch forward towards the more violent part of the fire. Heidi winced as her arm brushed against the flame momentarily. She gritted her teeth and pulled the girl away from the flames.

The girl continued to scream, and she had severe burns all over her feet and below her knees. They were beginning to bleed. Heidi set her down momentarily in the woods, and paced back and forth rapidly, chewing her lip. Meanwhile, Rebecca had fallen unconscious.

With a small growl of frustration, Felix walked over to her and tilted her head upwards, leaning towards her slightly.

"No!" Heidi nearly shrieked, and jerked Felix backwards. Rebecca fell limply back to the ground. "Do you have a death wish?" She hissed at Felix.

He blinked twice, confused. "Aro wants her for the guard." He said.

"She's _four!"_ Heidi said alarmed, "No matter her talent, we cannot create an immortal child!"

Felix paused, then nodded, "Right… my bad."

The two hastily picked up the child and ran back to their master, who was waiting eagerly for their return and word if the child was still alive. Heidi carefully cradled the child while Felix ran up ahead, making sure the path was clear. In a way, Felix was the opposite of Demitri, Heidi thought passively. He was curious, playful, a tad childish and protective of his friends. Demitri never even seemed to have made friends. He was cold, and distant, Heidi mused silently, and when it came to humans… they were soon cold and distant too, dead on the floor.

Felix held the door open for her with an encouraging smile. As Heidi walked in, all the eyes of the Guard fell on her and the child.

"Wonderful!" Aro said cheerfully, "I was afraid she would have died. And immortal children," He glanced at Felix knowingly, "are illegal you know." Felix bowed his head slightly.

"Then what exactly do you plan to do, brother?" Caius asked impatiently, "Keep a human as a pet until it has matured?"

"Precisely." Aro said, earning a growl from Caius, "Her power will increase with age. Think, brother, think, an immortal with full control of fire. One who can manipulate it to her will. It is the only way to kill a vampire is it not? Through flame? She would be truly immortal, for she could never be burned, and could also easily dispose of most threats."

There was silence.

"But some bandages on her burns." Marcus said slowly. "Have Gianna prepare some kind of food for the child."

"Of course." Heidi murmured.

"Wait!" Jane strode quickly, a tiny smile on her face. "If I'm going to have a new sister, I want to know her name."

Heidi paused. "Sister? Jane she is human."

"But she will be one of us, and her gift seems to be similar to mine… her past as well." Jane said confidently.

"Her father called her Rebecca, another called her Bex. Her father's surname was Medachi." Felix said quickly.

"It doesn't suit her." Jane said sadly.

"Why?" Heidi asked quickly, "It's a feminine name, pretty and-"

"And elegant and for a shy creature." Jane interrupted wistfully.

"Jane," Aro called, she looked over at him, "if you have taken such an interest to your new sister, would you be willing to help Felix and Heidi take care of her?"

Jane's eyes actually sparkled for a moment. She was truly looking forward to meeting someone whom she believed to be exactly like her, "Of course Aro, it would be my pleasure."

**And ta-da. Chapter one of my grand experiment is finite. Please review and tell me what you think! Special thanks to the first person to facorite my story 'vampiregirl345' SUPER SPECIAL THANKS! Hugs! Review please!**


	3. Chapter 2 Waking Flames

**This chapter is extra long, and it took me a while! There **_**is**_** a time skip, even though I hate them. I made it pretty clear, but if there is any confusion, feel free to ask. **

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot, and the character Rebecca Medachi is mine. ENJOY!**

**Chapter 2- Waking Flames**

Gianna rushed downstairs, chewing her lip anxiously.

"Gianna." Demitri nodded coolly as she passed him. She said nothing as she passed him. As soon as he left the room, Gianna began frantically searching.

"Rebecca," She whispered quietly, fearing someone would hear her. "Rebecca, dear?"

She gulped. What would happen if someone found out that she had _lost_ the child? She shivered at that thought and continued running through the halls, checking in each room.

"Loose something Gianna?" A smooth voice behind her asked. With a gasp, she whirled around and faced Jane. Jane smirked slightly, the corners of her eyelids pulling with her fake smile, emphasizing her bright red irises

"Uh…" She stammered.

"It's okay Gianna," A trilling soprano she hadn't heard before said, "you didn't lose me. I found Jane instead."

Gianna looked down and saw the child. Her long shiny black hair swung down nearly around her waist, and her odd amethyst eyes twinkled with an amusement that was well past her age.

"I… ah… _Rebecca?"_ Gianna stuttered, awestruck.

"She snuck out, using the window." Jane said, looking at the tiny girl fondly. Jane's hand was wrapped around Rebecca's tiny one. They looked like they actually were sisters, though they looked nothing alike. She ruffled Rebecca's hair lovingly, "And you gave us quiet a scare didn't you, little monkey?"

"Yeah!" Rebecca said eagerly, "I jumped down from the balcony and then everyone was staring! Asking if I was okay."

"Quiet miraculous really." Alec walked in, "As if she isn't completely human."

"Oh, please." Felix muttered, appearing behind Alec. He scooped Rebecca up in his arms and tickled her stomach, "She's completely human!"

"Her _eyes_ are _purple!"_ Alec sighed. Felix paused, and Rebecca glanced at him.

"Your eyes are red." She said smoothly. Gianna stifled a laugh, while Alec sighed in defeat.

"Yes Rebecca, my eyes are red." He muttered. Felix grinned and began spinning around with Rebecca in his arms.

"Felix, put me down!" She laughed.

"Nope."

"Why not, you jerk?"

"Because you're so warm and squishy." He chuckled. Rebecca narrowed her eyes.

"Put. Me. Down." She said slowly and precisely. She held up her left hand, fingers spread apart. Slowly, a tiny yellow flame glowed from her index finger. "I don't like it when people pick me up." She then said innocently as Felix put her down.

The entire room was quiet.

"I am so eager to see how she turns out." Jane murmured.

"I'm just happy we've got some excitement." Felix chuckled. Rebecca smiled at him slightly.

This was opportunity to Rebecca. A new family, and a fresh start. They had saved her after all. But still… she wondered. Would they accept her? They seemed not to mind the fire, but there was so much more. The speed, the balance, the intelligence and the eyes. Her wild mood swings and tendency to resort to almost instinctual violence. In truth, she knew she could stand alone, and fight for herself. But she didn't want to have to be alone. She wanted to fight by someone's side, to fight for something.

And she wanted one other thing… _revenge_.

But she would have to wait. She couldn't be stupid about it. She could wait, be patient. Violetta would get what was coming to her. And she would not see it coming, and that was important.

_**Time Skip- Rebecca is now twelve, for the sake of moving the plot along.**_

**Rebecca POV-**

"Bex." Aro called, I looked up from my book silently.

"F-… Aro?" I asked back. Damnit, I gritted my teeth, I had nearly called him father. Memories of my own father were all tainted. Violetta being the reason of course. I could not forget, no. After eight years I had still not forgotten.

"Rebecca dear, we have a guest. My old friend visiting us again." Aro smiled happily as I walked in. I sighed and threw the hood of my cloak up. Aro had many friends, I wondered which one this would be. "As I understand, you are moving back to Forks, are you not?" I heard Aro ask the guest.

"I am." The visitors voice said.

My footsteps, though unnaturally light, were still audibly different than the rest of my families to other vampires. Yes, vampires. Strange, I know. But poetic in a way, that the only people who have shown me compassion were those that suck life from others, and those who stole my life when I was younger were completely human. Amusingly poetic. But… those others, they've told me, were lesser creatures. I tried to not let it bother me, picturing the people they killed as Violetta always made me feel better.

I had grown much taller since my arrival at Volterra, I hovered around five feet tall. My eyes were still purple, my deep black hair still swung loosely down my back, near my waist. Felix, Jane, and Heidi had become my closest friends. Heidi was like my mother… I never met my real mother. Felix and Jane were like siblings, Felix a bit more playful then Jane, but Jane watched out for me.

It was Jane who made the discovery. Why I was so… different. They had found my mother. She was… an out of control, bloodthirsty vampire. When I first laid eyes on her, I did not feel a connection like I thought I would when I met my mother. Rather, I felt disgusted. My mother had been bitten when she was still pregnant with me. I was born on the last day of her transformation. She was able to control her thirst long enough to bring me back to my father.

The Volturi let her live, but it had truly broken me. My own mother was a monster. My father never even knew, and my own village rejoiced in the anniversary of my death, every year.

I bowed my head and walked into the main hall. I heard a small gasp, and ground my teeth together. Several times, Aro's guests hadn't thought there would be a human in the castle, so they didn't have to worry about their thirst. I'd been attacked multiple times. Out of habit, I let the familiar tingle in my finger tips start, letting the energy start to build, just in case.

"A… human?" The voice gasped. I smirked slightly and glanced up. Surprisingly, I was met by a pair of golden eyes, and a man with wavy blond hair.

"Almost completely human." Aro mused, beaming at me. I enjoyed the praise. "Her mother was bitten whilst she was still pregnant."

"That's…" The man seemed at a loss for words. "Her eyes." He muttered finally.

"And yours are golden. Now that we've established that no one appears to a normal eyes color around here, let's move on, shall we?" I suggested calmly.

"Very good Rebecca," Aro said with a slight smile, "This is my dear friend Carlisle Cullen. He visits ever so often."

"Pleasure to meet you." I said. He nodded, but continued to watch me with slight amazement. "Might I ask, _why_ your eyes are golden?"

Aro held one hand up and I was silenced, bowing my head respectfully. "Rebecca, you've been wanting to go to that old tea shop, haven't you?"

I nod slightly, knowing Aro picked that out of my thoughts a while back. I nodded slowly, Aro smiled again.

"Perhaps Carlisle can answer your question there."

"If you would like to have a discussion with the Guard without me there, all you need to do is ask." I said sharply. Aro frowned slightly and I fell silent again with one almost silent sigh.

"Be back be six!" He called as I turned to leave.

"Yeah, whatever." I muttered under my breath. I all but stormed out of the hall.

"Bex…" Jane murmured as I passed her.

"Don't…" I hissed venomously, another habit I picked up from living with vampires. Hissing, snarling and growling was often exchanged, and I ended up joining in to. "Don't even talk to me."

"I could ask them to delay again." She murmured.

"For the third time?" I demanded.

"You… I could argue that you're still a child, still growing." She said sincerely, I sensed Aro's 'friend' behind me. Jane glowered over my shoulder at him.

"I _am_ still growing Jane. But Aro is impatient and you know what Caius would say."

Jane pursed her lips. "How much longer do you want?"

I looked at my feet. A petty desire grew in my heart, "Sixteen."

"_Sixteen!?"_ Jane whispered harshly.

"I want to finish one year of high school as a normal child before I give my life away to the Guard for the rest of _eternity!_" I said hoarsely, "Is that so much to ask, Jane, is it really?" I hung my head, ashamed.

Jane bowed her head as well. "It… they fear you become too attached to your own life."

"It's my life to live." I murmured to myself.

"I know Bex." Jane sighed. "Felix, Heidi, Alec and I will definitely be voting for you. I know how much you want to make real human friends." I felt my cheeks flame, I didn't want the Volturi to know I was so caught up in trivial human desires. "Demitri will vote against you. He always does… and Aro, Caius as well. Marcus… well, I will try my best to convince him. Renata will vote however Aro does, as well as Santiago. Chelsea has always liked you, and Afton will vote however she does. I will they to convince them as well.

That was five votes against me for sure, four with me and three undecided.

Felix appeared by my side, I had learned not to jump when this happened. "Yeah, I'm voting for you monkey." He smirked.

"Gee thanks." I sniffed and managed to roll my eyes at his joke.

"Go on Bex," Jane urged, "either way… we're going to do our best." She smiled.

"Thank you," I whispered, hugging her tightly, "So much. I owe you my life."

"Twice over!" Felix chimed cheerfully.

I gave Felix a hug to, before turning and starting to walk down the long hallway, as I heard Jane and Felix walk back towards Aro. Where they would vote on whether or not to turn me, to take my life away. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Carlisle walked silently behind me.

"Rebecca…" he said kindly after a while. I stopped,

"It would be better… if we didn't discuss the topic which you have just heard." I murmured, though I knew he could hear. I grabbed my black jacket as I walked out the large double wooden doors outside. My jacket was specially made for me, it was… flame proof. So were most of most of my clothes, so that I didn't suddenly find myself without any clothing when I got into a fight with Felix.

I inhaled the fresh air deeply, noticing it was raining. "_Cazzarola tutto…"_ I murmured, Damn it all. "I hate the rain."

"Why?" Carlisle asked as I started walking.

"I hate water in general sometimes." I explained. My favorite tea shop was called _Fiore Rosso_, Red Flower. I paused as I passed the small book shop, and felt like I had forgotten something. I reached into my pocket and felt my phone, no… that wasn't it. Then it hit me. "Oh, _merda!_" I cursed loudly, making Carlisle jump slightly.

"What?" He asked quizzically.

"I forgot my bow." I grumbled, slightly angry.

"Why would you need a bow?"

"I… I still struggle to control my gift sometimes. The bow was specially made so that I can channel my gift through it." I explained.

"Interesting." Was all the odd man said, "You know, your situation reminds me of the tales of Athena." He mused.

"Athena, the Goddess?" I asked slowly.

"The warrior, yes." I smirked at his comment. He had no idea. I sat myself down at one of the tables just outside of _Fiore Rosso_, protected from the rain by the overhanging roof, and waited less than a minute before a server came out. Without thinking, I pushed up my sleeves and leaned back causally in my chair. This place was practically mine. I came here all the time, and having Aro as a father figure helped when prices got a tad too high.

"Rebecca!" The server said cheerfully.

"Good afternoon Tom." I said casually.

"What can I get you and your friend today?" He asked with a smile.

"Ah… the specialty green tea with… the mint twist and two sugars please." I said slowly, pondering what tea I was in the mood for.

"And for you?" He turned to Carlisle. I smirked slightly as a slight frown crossed his face.

"My friend isn't very thirsty," I nearly choked on the last word, suppressing a fit of giggles though a tiny laugh coming through. Carlisle's lip twitched in a small smile, a human would have missed it, "I've dragged him along for company."

"Very well, just a few minutes."

Carlisle sighed, "It has been a while since I've had tea." He said thoughtfully.

"I would assume so." I said through a smile. "How long?"

"Since… well, sometime in the mid sixteen hundreds I guess. When I was a boy." Carlisle finished.

"Shame." I muttered, "It is the drink of kings." At this he laughed,

"Isn't that wine?" He chuckled.

"Perhaps I should say the drink of underage kings then." I corrected myself with a chuckle of my own. He looked rather amused at my comment. "So, what exactly is the fascinating story behind your eyes?" I asked after a long pause.

Tom was back, and placed the white chine cup in front of me. The golden brown beverage swirled inside of it. "Specialty green, mint twist, two sugars, just like you asked." Tom said.

"Good boy." I said with a smile and flipped him a silver coin off my thumb. I often thought Tom was like a dog, in his eagerness to please. As he left, I looked back at Carlisle expectantly.

"I am committed to saving lives, not ending them." He started, "When I was turned, I could not bring myself to submit to my thirst. My father had hunted vampires, and expected me to do the same. So naturally, I loathed what had become."

I sipped my tea, letting the flavors fill up my senses and waited for him to continue.

"I hunted animals instead."

I paused, the tea cup in my hands, and looked at him steadily.

"Impossible." I said simply. That… wasn't even, where do I begin? It's not right! I mean, how can you fight your instincts like that?

"Coming from an odd creature like you, I would think this would be easier for you to understand." He said calmly, in an almost fatherly tone. I put my cup down.

"So you sustain yourself on animal blood?"

"My entire family does, and I've been able to study medicine and become a doctor." He nodded. I noticed the use of the word family instead of the word coven.

"Fascinating." I breathed, sitting up straight.

"I… have a few of my own questions to ask you." He said slowly. I smirked down into my cup of tea. Of course he had questions. I nodded slowly. "What… traits have you inherited that are more than human?"

I thought for a second, "The foremost is my gift." I said. Carlisle watched me anxiously. Sighing I held up my hand, and in my other the tea cup. Carefully, I held the cup above my left hand. I glanced around, no one would see. I let down my cautious barrier, and energy coursed through my veins. A light flame spring from my finger tips, and heated the bottom f the cup until the tea steamed in the cool air.

"Fire." He mouthed.

I nodded, "And now you see why the Volturi refuses to give me much freedom at all." The last part was a sigh.

"You don't like them." It was a statement.

"I do, Jane, Felix, Alec, Heidi… they're like my brothers and sisters. I just… don't really want to _be one of them._" I put emphasis on 'one of them'. I wasn't too fond of becoming a vampire. He nodded, seeming to understand.

"Besides the gift?"

"Hmm…" I considered this slowly, "heightened senses I suppose. That and I am stronger than most people, seeing as Felix is my sparring partner." I watched his expression of shock at this with amusement.

"Speed then, as well, am I right?" He asked. I nodded.

"Agility, reaction time… flexibility, eyesight, hearing, sense of smell, intelligence… Heidi and the others believe that all of these are increased. She says I'm very perceptive." I smiled slightly, thinking fondly of my motherly figure.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. "My apologies." I mouthed and flipped it open, "_Saluto._" I greeted into the receiver.

'_Bex.'_ It was Jane. My heart accelerated, what if they couldn't pass the vote?

"What happened Jane?"

'_We got it! We got it by two votes!'_ She was excited.

I was speechless with happiness. A strong wind whipped around, mixing the scent of tea and fresh rain around me. It was almost euphoric, until something else drifted into the air. It brought a small growl to my lips.

'… _I smell it to.'_ Jane said, _'Be careful.'_

I hung up, and glanced at Carlisle, "Please tell me I'm not imagining things. Do you smell that?"

"Unfortunately."

I growled, slammed my fist into the table and took off running. Carlisle was right behind me. "Stop!" He insisted, "You could be killed."

I stepped out into the rain, and pulled my sleeve up even further. The dull light reflected off my elaborate scar. Except it wasn't even that, more of a brand. I remembered when I got it, at four years old. It was painful, but necessary. An elegant and curly 'V' with other geometric lines around it shone brightly against my otherwise smooth skin. The mark told all others that I was a member of a Volturi despite my mortality, and if they attacked me, they attacked the Volturi. "I _have_ to do something." I said, "It's my duty, as much as I hate to say it, I owe them my life." I said earnestly. He pursed his lips, but followed me.

"The church!" I gasped as I found where the scent was most concentrated.

An old abandoned church. How poetic. I walked in, slowly, watching and listening. Carlisle stood behind me.

"Guest to Volterra," I said loudly, "I am a representative of the Volturi," I held up my arm, the brand glinting in the light, "show yourself now and receive no punishment for your intrusion. Should you attack me, it will be a formal attack on the Volturi on their soil. Make your decision wisely." I said, my voice did not waver, but inside I worried. I am in a dark church, with an unknown vampire who I don't know, and one I just met. But it was my job to make sure the city was protected.

"Little, little, little girl…" A chilling voice sung, "you smell so lovely in the fresh rain, little girl who is your protector?"

I growled. "He is a guest in this city. This is your last chance. As a member of the Guard, I demanded your cooperation."

"Oh… but I demand _yours._" The voice called back. This was getting beyond creepy. "I'd hate to get your blood on my new shirt."

The pale newcomer stepped out, facing me, on the far side of the church. I exhaled shakily. His eyes were the bright crimson of a newborn. Panic gripped me, Felix had told me that newborns were substantially stronger than even he was. More importantly, he was also stronger than Carlisle. I took half a step back, then remembered what Felix had taught me.

"_Feet slightly more than shoulder width apart, keep your knees slightly bent. Have your hands up and ready, forearm facing your attacker for a block. Keep your core strong, and your muscles coiled, be ready to move at the tiniest signal. Feel the connection? The strength that you can feel in your feet, and through the top of your head?" He asked, I stood as he said, eyes narrow and focused. I nodded slowly._

"_Good, now, put strength into the stance."_

_I did as I was told._

_He put his hand on my shoulder, "Don't let me knock you over." I braced myself, locking my muscles in place. He shoved me, and I tipped over immediately._

"_See? Move with the motion slightly, just don't move your feet."_

_I nodded. He punched my left shoulder, and I let my shoulder move back with the force, turning my body slightly. Taking the rotation in stride, I reached out and grabbed his arm and spun him around myself. He stood back up and grinned. We exchanged high-fives._

I set my feet and raised my arms, exhaling slowly. The newborn sneered at me and crouched.

He leapt in a blur, even with my eyesight, I could barely track him, not to mention move quickly enough to counter. My eyes widened in fear.

A concussive sound, like an explosion, or two cliffs slamming against each other, echoed in the church. It bounced off the walls and made my ears ring.

"Run Rebecca!" I turned and saw Carlisle pinned beneath the newborn, barely restraining him. Awestruck, I froze for a split second. This… vampire with a kind heart, who detested violence, was putting his life on the line, so that girl he barely knew, who was a member of the often hated Volturi, could live? I barely even knew him. But I would not let him die. Not for me.

I stood and took a deep breath, the energy flowed fast, like a flood gate had been opened. Flames erupted in my palms.

"_Ma va' da lo!"_ I shrieked and lunged forward. _Get away from him!_

We collided roughly, my fire snaked and twisted. I felt a pain in my shoulder and screamed. In response, my flames roared with greater intensity, and there was a responding shriek from the newborn. A cold hand gripped my arm and pulled me backwards.

Carlisle was helping me to my feet. I winced,

"You're left shoulder is dislocated." He whispered, and I nodded.

"Newborns, what do you know about them." I asked quickly as the newborn struggled to escape the fire.

"Probably about as much as you." He murmured back.

"We'll have to attack together, keep him occupied." I said, my breathing shaking in my chest.

"From the sides. He's young, he'll expect head on attacks only."

"Rely on brute strength," I added,

"And not agility"

"On brawns."

"And not brains."

"He won't be as agile, because his thirst fuels him."

"We can use that to our advantage."

"Make me a promise, Carlisle." I whispered as the newborn was all but free of my flames.

"What kind of promise?"

"Promise to remind me of this should the Volturi turn against you." I said strongly. I looked at him and saw slight surprise in his eyes, but he then nodded, and re-focused. "On three."

"One."

"Two."

The newborn moved at the same time as we did. He went straight for both of us, so when we moved, he was off target. Carlisle stepped right, I stepped left, we moved in sync. He was slammed into the ground, only partly by me. The newborn thrashed wildly, something contacted with my stomach, sending me flying. As I flew backwards, I saw a flicker of crimson eyes. Felix had taught me something else, another thing that would come in handy. Reading eyes. What did I see here? _Intention_. Blind thirst, and aggression. As I flipped backwards, I saw the ground.

My left foot hit first, then right, until I was sliding backwards on my own two feet. Like I was swinging a bat, I brought my hand around and a blaze shot forward, lighting up the entire church in a miraculous flash of light. He dodged left. Carlisle was almost immediately at my side, and grasped the newborn by his shoulder as he dodged to avoid more fire.

My hand shot out, already blazing, and Carlisle halted the newborns attack, catching him mid leap.

The flame leapt forward with an aggression and fury that seemed to be all my emotions poured into it. I watched as Carlisle backed away, the fire engulfing the newborn completely. He screamed, his screams bouncing and turning into low growls. A sigh of relief hit me, but the fire still hummed in my veins. Excited as it lapped it's prey.

A pale hand shout out from the flames, I felt I wrap around my wrist.

"_REBECCA!"_ Jane's voice called desperately.

A blast of heat surrounded me. The fire was everywhere, orange and yellow twisting and snaking together, and two red lanterns, flickering rapidly. The energy in my hands began seeping out from my fingertips. I looked down, blood coated my hands, dripping away. The burns on my feet, nearly gone from when I was four, now shined in the light of fire. It was not the fire that caused them, but it now seemed far too similar. Warmth. I had no control left, none at all. It was the most powerful fire I had ever summoned.

Peace.

I smiled. There was no pain.

'_Papa!'_ _I giggled, running to my dad, who picked me up in his arms and spun me around._

'_Aw, Becca-boo, I thought I told you to stay clean!' He said putting me down, and rubbing some dirt off my cheek._

'_Up Papa, up!' I squealed, my hands up in the air. He smiled at me and lifted me up._

'_You never put that child down.' Dad's friend Lisa chuckled._

'_She doesn't like to be put down.' Dad laughed._

'_You have such a happy daughter.' Lisa sighed, 'Carlos,' She asked slowly, 'don't you ever worry about her?'_

'_I will always be here for her.' My Papa said fondly, 'I won't let anything happen to _Mia Angello_.' My angel, he called me. I giggled and we were soon sitting around the fire, sipping warm cups of tea. I loved the warmth, it was so soothing. It reminded me of being in the arms of my father._

"M-m…mom?" I whispered.

The vampire looked at me with wild and crazed eyes. Her perfect black hair was slightly tangled, she was tall and thin, but her eyes terrified me. She could not be my mother. Heidi's hand fell on my shoulder.

"Rebecca… I'm sorry."

I turned and ran, as fast as I could. Back to my room. Sobbing hard, I threw myself onto my bed and my eyes fell on my fireplace. My heart felt cold, and the flame in my fireplace, that I never let die, went out. A tiny, near silent, scream of pain fell into complete silence.

'_Why?!' Jane demanded, 'You're risking your life for what?!'_

'_For the rush!' I shouted back, 'I love it, it's… it's like something I've never done before. IT feels like flying almost, but then… really dancing!"_

'_Dancing?! You could get yourself killed!' Jane looked petrified, gripping my shoulders, she was worried for me._

'_Jane, it feels like living.'_

_She dropped my shoulders and sobbed quietly._

'_You're a fool!' She finally said, "You'll end up killing yourself. Is that what you want? Is that what this is about?"_

'_No!' I almost screamed, 'It's… it's about feeling alive!' I paused and remembered the feeling, alone and utterly free, 'I can feel human. I can feel normal, like nothing is wrong with me.'_

'_Rebecca…'_

'_I just want to be human.' I whispered, mostly to myself._

"Rebecca!" Warmth. I drifted in warmth. I pictured my mother, beautiful and healthy, her cheeks rosy, eyes blue, her arms around me. She was human, and I was warm in her arms. But drifting, I soon found myself away from her. Then falling.

"Rebecca!"

"Come on Rebecca!" I felt a pressure on my neck, my chest.

"You have less than a minute. If she does not come around, you will turn her over. Vote or not, we cannot let her die."

"Rebecca, _please!_" Someone was weeping. In my ears, the piano cords of a distant lullaby rang, but slowly falling away as if they were fading into an abyss.

Another slight pressure, on my lips. Air rushed into my lungs. The warmth was gone, I was dragged away from my paradise just as it fell apart. I gasped for air, and light flooded my senses.

"She's breathing." Carlisle's voice came.

"Thank the lord." Heidi gasped.

"Where the hell is that newborn!?" Felix snarled.

"With any luck," I croaked, "dead."

"Rebecca!" Jane crushed me in a hug. She then pulled away and Heidi leaned forward. She was crying, tearlessly. She slapped me.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ do that again Rebecca! How could you be so… so stupid!" She sobbed. I hugged her silently, until she hugged me back.

"Sorry, mom." I choked out. Carlisle offered me a hand up. Gratefully, I took it.

"Athena, I think." He smiled. "For sure."

I smiled back, "It would have been a much shorter fight had you not been here."

"What the hell happened?" A sour voice, Demitri demanded, making me almost roll my eyes.

"Newborn and Bex got into it." Felix said with a slight smirk, "She was a bit in over her head, Cullen gave her a hand."

"And the fact that she passed out." Demitri glowered at me condescendingly.

"It was the biggest fire she's ever created. She lost control, cut her a break. She is only human after all." Jane said coolly.

"Sis, we need to do a bit more work on your technique before you decide to take on newborns." Felix chuckled, I smiled at him.

"What was it you called her Carlisle?" Heidi asked him suddenly, "I rather liked it."

"Athena." He said slowly, "The warrior goddess."

"It suits her." Jane smiled. Jane had wanted to find a new name for me since I first arrived in Volterra.

"Okay, new name. Cool." I muttered.

"No!" Jane interrupted, "We have to formally rename you! Oh, Bex, this has been coming for a while, we just needed the right name!"

"We should get back." Felix muttered, "The sun will be out soon."

I nodded and led the way back, as I usually did when we were unsure of the sun. My cloak was draped over my shoulders by Felix, and I threw the hood up quickly. We came into an ally way. The shadows were rapidly disappearing, and if we didn't go now we'd be stuck until night.

"Go, now, straight shot back." I whispered.

Felix patted my head, "Thanks monkey." He bolted down the alley, and one by one the rest followed. Carlisle sent me a brief, thankful glance and followed. I sighed, he would no doubt be gone completely before the next morning. Everyone who was remotely pleasant to me outside the Guard never stayed long. Having a blood-sucking-immortal-literally-undead family tended to make people want to leave you alone.

So, I ran back reluctantly. I knew what would happen if I ever tried to run. Demitri liked to remind me of that constantly. I slipped into an abandoned warehouse and practiced. My flames lit up the dark room until I was satisfied that I still had control. Losing control again… would not be tolerated.

When I stepped back outside, it was raining. No one was on the streets, quiet. I hated quiet, quiet brought hyperawareness, paranoia and my heart would start racing. A dead give away to my position to those with the hearing that came with their immortality.

"Rebecca." I turned in a flash, my hands forward, stance offensive.

"_Fermarsi!"_ I barked at the speaker, whom I had not heard coming.

"Whoa, whoa! Relax Bex!" Santiago held his hands up innocently. His careful eyes were on my hands, a tiny, almost unnoticeable flame burning off them. It was easier to start a fire if the spark was already there.

"Jesus Santiago, I could have attacked you!" I muttered, feeling my heart slowly calm down.

"And I you, but that's not precisely the point of why I'm here." He said quietly.

"Oh?"

"Please not the time Rebecca." He said smoothly. I glanced down at my watch and nearly choked. _11:17_ blinked in dull blue on the screen.

"_Merda!"_ I cursed.

Santiago tilted his head to one side, "Lose track of time?"

"Completely." I grumbled.

"Demitri…." He didn't finish his sentence.

"Thought I was running?" I finished sourly.

"Yes. But it was not such a wild accusation. After all, you have been acting quiet strange lately, and staying out late." He said, "And when you're an hour past curfew… what did you presume he would think?" He paused, "Moreover… what exactly were you doing so late at night?"

"Oh, my back was hurting so I stopped in a warehouse to lay down for a little while." I lied smoothly, "I woke up, saw the clock-"

"Cussed." Santiago interrupted with a nod. He knew me pretty well.

"And then started running back." I finished.

Santiago lead me back, constantly watching me. I didn't exactly understand why until I was practically attacked when we got back home. Felix forced me to lie down and Jane put ice on my shoulder, making me wince slightly. I hadn't lied about my back, it was sore. But I could fight it off. I had to, weakness wasn't tolerated.

**Review? Critique? Suggestions? Thank you for my first two reviewers as well as the three people who have added this story to alerts!**


	4. Chapter 3 Chasing Demons

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story. However, the plot, and the character Rebecca Medachi (Athena), is mine and I CAN claim that! :) Enjoy!**

Chapter 3- Chasing Demons

**Three Years Later** (Athena is 15)

**Rebecca/Athena:**

I sighed, rubbing my hands together. It was snowing outside the local middle school. Cold. I hated cold, it made me feel utterly alone. And I really was right now to. All of my classmates had gone home, and I sat on the stone wall outside the school. The wall was ten feet high, I sat Indian style, lightly falling snow was melting slowly on my hair.

I rubbed my hands together, my breath fogging.

My hands were slightly paler than the rest of me. Twisting marks covered them. Burns. I had burn scars all over my left hand, and some around my right wrist. Angrily, I pursed my lips. They were like a symbol that I wasn't… normal.

I wanted to be. I really did, but, I was caught. Caught between Athena, the future member of the Guard, and the young, shy, carefree, Rebecca Medachi. Being in school, I had met more kids, normal human kids. They laughed and bickered amongst themselves, carefree. It's a lot of weight on your shoulders to know exactly when your life is going to end. And the pain of the change…

I winced internally.

"Athena!" I almost growled, but resisted. Humans didn't growl. I am human. _I am…_

I turned slowly, and saw a friend of mine, Blake, ran over to the wall. He smiled up at me.

"Hi Blake." I said, smiling a fake smile.

"Do you need a ride home or something?" He asked, using the metal gate to climb up the wall, whereas I had simply jumped.

"No. My…" I paused. "My brother is picking me up." I whispered the word 'brother'. Was Felix really my brother? Not by blood. No, we could never be related, even remotely. We weren't the same species. Part of me wished we were related though. So I could claim I had a real family without feeling a tug at my heart.

The silence slowly passed, and he was still seated next to me. I rubbed my hands together, they were going numb again.

"Um… here, let me." He took my hands in his and rubbed them with his own warmer hands. I sighed happily, enjoying the warmth. "You, um… burn your hands?"

I winced. "Yeah… when I was little. I knocked over a candle in my dad's workshop."

"Oh."

We lapsed into an awkward silence again. Our middle school was on a hill, a long winding road came up to it, which meant from the wall I could see any car approaching before it even got close to the school. My eyes caught the small blue car zipping up the road, it would arrive in three minutes, but I could still see it long before it got here. Then again, I could also see it long before Blake could.

"Athena, uh… do you want to maybe… watch a movie or something, sometime? With me?" Blake blurted out suddenly.

I felt my cheeks heat up, did he just ask me out? Blake was an odd kid. Sure, he was… cute, taller than I with messy dark hair and green eyes, he was funny, kind and mischievous, but he was a friend. But at the same time, I did _like_ him. What harm could a movie do?

"Sure, that would be nice."

"Athena!" Felix called loudly. I groaned internally, he had probably heard the entire conversation. I threw Blake a smile and jumped down, landing on both feet easily. I jogged over to the car, where Felix shot me a look of 'you're up to something and I'm on to you'.

"I'm not telling you." I smirked, closing the door and leaning back into the seat.

"Oh yeah?" He smirked right back at me.

My grin widened, Felix and I bickered and fought all the time. Like real brother and sister. "Felix, you're arguing with someone who could set you on fire." I winked, "Not so smart."

"Uh, we're in a car, you'll blow it up."

"So you'd die, burn, get completely incinerated." I added.

"So would you."

"Not necessarily."

"Really? When did you become immune to flying metal?"

"Touché." I grumbled.

"So…" He nudged my elbow, "The hounds are after you?"

"Hounds?"

"That human you were speaking with. When he stares at you it makes me want to remove his teeth one by one with my bare hands." He growled. I punched his shoulder.

"_Felix!_ Blake is my friend!"

"Oh, I wasn't aware friends drool over each other like that. Humans are so odd." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, he just wants to see a movie." I insisted.

"Am I invited?"

"_NO!"_ I yelled immediately.

"Why not?" Felix pouted, then he smiled menacingly, "You two going to be making out in the back of the theatre?"

"Ugh!" I threw my hands up in the air, "You can't go because it's 'human time'. You know, where humans socialize? Go see movies, walk around outside, in the _sun_, and buy sodas to drink." I stressed.

"Well, I could… wear a coat."

"Oh yeah, and what about going to get lunch, and tea, what then?"

"I could bring along a snack."

I whacked his shoulder, "Felix!"

"Okay, okay, jeez! You're so sensitive." He snickered.

"I am not."

"Are too." He sang back childishly.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too, are too, are too, are too, are too, are too!" He sang gleefully. I groaned and leaned against the door in defeat. "Yay, I win!" He cackled.

"You are _such a child._"

"Says the fifteen year old human to an old, immortal vampire." He laughed.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

When we got back, we were surprised to find the Guard rushing us forward into the main hall.

"What's going on?" Felix asked.

"Hot-head Cullen wants to die." Demitri sneered over his shoulder. I paused, a tiny gasp escaping from me.

"Cullen?" I asked, "Carlisle you mean?" I ran behind Felix, barely keeping up with his jog.

"Don't know."

But… but Carlisle was normal! I think. Well, he wouldn't want to die! He was cheerful, valued life, family, and… I don't know, other stuff! He wouldn't come here asking to die unless…

Unless someone slaughtered his family.

A chill swept through me, Carlisle had saved my life. I had made a promise to him. The Volturi would never unfairly harm any of the Cullens. My run sped up, with determination, my muscles ached, but I ran faster. Felix smirked,

"Why so excited?" He asked with a laugh.

"Remember when Carlisle saved me, Felix?" I asked, he nodded, "That makes him a friend. Not only to me, but to you, and Jane, and Heidi as well. Because you guys are my family, and he helped us."

Felix frowned, but then nodded.

"Athena." Santiago greeted me, handing me a deep grey cloak, "No one goes in without one. We might have a serious issue on our hands. Those with nothing to lose are the most dangerous."

"No one addresses Master as Aro while Cullen is present. This is a formal and dangerous situation. The Three Masters will be regarded with respect, and you will call them 'master' at all times. You are to bow before them when they call for you to approach, and only speak when spoken to. Should there be any attack on any of the masters, the attacker is to be destroyed without hesitation." Alec said quickly and nervously. He paused and put his hands on my shoulders, "Athena, do exactly as I say. Before, the Cullens… well, a human knows their secret. She's dead now, this one loved the human. But having you know our secret is in a way breaking the rules. In his eyes at least. Not to us, for you _are_ one of us. But Cullen may be particularly hostile towards you, especially since his human died." He watched me carefully, then, with pleading eyes, "Be careful."

"Of course, brother." I hugged him quickly.

"_Felix! Alec! Santiago! Athena!_" An angry voice yelled, "Main hall, _now!"_ It was Caius. I gulped nervously and sprinted forward with the rest of my brothers.

Amazingly, over the last years I have spent with my brothers and sisters, I have become even more similar to them. I was an incredible athlete, excelling at sports. I could run much faster than humanly possible. My strength hadn't increased much, I could fight with Felix, but not newborns. I was still slightly breakable, but now broken fingers didn't hurt anymore, they were so common.

There was a down side to our sprint when Caius angrily called our tardiness. While my brothers could stop on a dime, my shoes squeaked in protest when I slammed them into the ground, with on fraction of the force of my brothers, whose shoes remained silent. I slid forward about a foot, and quickly stepped back, to stand in perfect line with my brothers. We all kneeled on one knee on the stone floor, one elbow resting on the leg that was up, the other palm placed on the floor.

This was customary for formal meetings with Aro, Marcus and Caius.

"Master, we came as quickly as we could… but there was a delay." Felix said smoothly.

"What was this _delay?"_ Caius demanded. I sensed another vampire in the room, whom I had never sensed before. By sensed, I mean, he smelled different, and his footsteps sounded different. I could almost sigh in relief, it wasn't Carlisle.

"A human boy was delaying Athena at school." Felix smirked slightly.

Caius glared at me. "Be on time, young lady." He sneered.

"Yes sir." I muttered lamely.

I looked up at the scene before me, my head had been bowed. The Cullen who was here was younger by far. Perhaps late teens, I though passively. His hair was a light copper and he looked pained, depressed. His eyes were a dark black. He doesn't look like Carlisle, I thought, remembering our visitor a few years back.

The Cullen boy looked up suddenly, eyes locking on mine.

"A human." He muttered, a look of pain crossing his eyes. I wondered what had happened to the human that he loved. He looked away, and bowed his head, as if he remembered her at that moment.

"He can read minds." Felix whispered as Aro cleared his throat.

"Athena isn't totally mortal." He said, "And we have every intention of making her one of us."

That stung a bit. Seeing as I didn't want to be a murdering, vile, _monster_. I didn't think of my family (the select few of the guard who took care of me) that way, but the species in general, yes. Again, the boy's eyes flicked up to mine. _Stop reading my mind._ I growled quietly, the growl being out loud. Aro's eyes fell on me and I was silent.

"Unless… she has a problem with being one of us, of course." Aro said slowly.

"Then we would be happy to kill her." Caius said coolly.

My face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment, "No master. His ability to read my mind is annoying me. I was not protesting to your statement." _ Out loud, I wasn't. But in my mind, I was cussing you out._ I sneered in my thoughts, but kept my face blank.

Aro nodded, with that knowing look in his eyes, he then turned back to the boy.

"You see, Edward, it would be an awful waste." Aro said slowly. Ah, the boy's name was Edward. "Your talent is extraordinary… and well, we cannot simply throw away something so useful." He then paused, and smiled, "We would be happy to offer you a place in the Guard, if you do not wish to return to your family.

_NO!_ I mentally shrieked, _don't do it! Don't do it kid! Go back to Carlisle and get over whatever happened, I was raised by them and even _I_ don't want to be part of the Guard._ Only Jane, Felix, Heidi and Alec seemed to be capable of emotion, but they had to turn it all to anger and spite when they were working for Aro. Jane could be incredibly, well… _frickin' evil_ when the situation demanded it.

The boy made a face, "I cannot-"

"Give it a day my boy." Aro interrupted, "As humans say, 'sleep on it'."

He nearly growled at Aro, but bit his tongue and stalked out. As he passed me, he shot me a look. The look said, _If I didn't care, if my life hadn't been torn apart, I would be beyond curious._

I hissed under my breath. When people looked at me like that, it made me feel like a freak… well, more like a freak.

**I had fun with this one, expanding on the characters and stories of some of the lesser Voltrui guard members and making Jane a little more human. It was a tad short, spring break ended a little while ago and we're jumping into school mode again… so I apologize for shortness. I liked writing about the Volturi though, giving them a bit more character, humanness if you will. I hope you like it to! Review? **


	5. Chapter 4 Grasping Dreams

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however the and character Rebecca Medachi (Athena) and the plot are mine, and I hope you like them!**

Chapter 4- Grasping Dreams

**Athena POV-**

"Bring it!" I almost hissed at Felix, wiping the sweat off my forehead. We'd been practicing for almost three hours, and my entire body was begging me for a rest.

Felix charged forward, I tracked his motion, my left arm coming up and blocking his attack as it glanced off my forearm. He moved quickly, swinging around and trying to sweep my legs out from under me. I jumped, and used my momentum to kick out. My foot made quick contact with his jaw. He leaned back and quickly snatched my foot, pulling me down hard and abruptly. I threw my arms out, hands hitting the ground first. The muscles in my arm coiled and I sent myself twirling in the air, landing quickly back in the air. Instantaneously, I dodged to the side, as Felix's hand blurred past my left ear. I caught in, and twisted it around, throwing Felix against the nearby wall.

Fire burst to my fingertips, I held it close to his face with a satisfied smirk.

"Okay, I give, I give!" He gasped, slightly out of breath. The fight had lasted mere seconds, and it wasn't because either of us was superior. It was because we were fast. My heart was beating like the base in a techno rave, and my breath was almost frantic in its gasps.

"Bex, one!" I punched the air.

"Felix, three!" Felix smirked right back at me, poking me in the stomach.

"No way, you cheated the first time!" I growled back at him.

"Fine, Felix two, Bex one." He corrected with a smirk.

"Okay, well now that I smell like a dog,"

"No you still smell like a human." Felix interrupted childishly, I slapped the back of his head playfully.

"I'm going up to my room and taking a shower." I finished, running my hand through my sweat soaked hair.

"No you will not be going anywhere Medachi," Demitri said quickly, storming in. I growled at the use of my old last name. "Felix and I will be going to stop Cullen from doing something incredibly stupid and dangerous, _right now._" He stressed.

"What?" Felix asked.

"Stepping out into the sun."

"It's St. Marcus day, what the hell is that dumbass thinking!?" Felix exploded furiously.

Demitri shrugged. "He wants to die, we must grant his wish now."

Felix started to follow Demitri out, but then turned, "Bex… do me a favor? Send Jane." He said slightly nervously. "I don't like it when crazies have nothing to lose." I nodded stiffly, "Oh, and alert the Guard."

I nodded. As soon as he left the room, I spun on my heels and sprinted down the halls, my heart hammered. Felix was laid back, why did he think I had to raise the alarm for something like this? But Felix had a sense for things like that, when there was going to be trouble. I threw the large oak doors to the study open, guessing as to where Jane would be.

And she was there, draped across a red upholstered chair, hanging upside down, book in hands. Jane loved literature. She saw me and must have read the panic on his face. A snarl rose in her throat and she leapt to her feet.

"Cullen is going to expose what he is." I said, my trembling slightly. "Felix is worried."

"How worried?" She asked seriously, gripping me by the shoulders.

"He told me to 'alert the Guard'." I said grimly.

"Merda." She whispered, cursing under her breath, and bolted out of the room. She paused, and looked at me.

"Put a cloak on, you don't have time to change… but you look awful." She shot me a tiny grin and left.

"Gee thanks." I grumbled and grabbed a grey cloak from the hook on the wall. I ran down the stairs, winding my way through the castle as fast as I could. When I got to the Guard Hall, where we gathered for meetings and evening times for chess and poker.

I grabbed the tiny silver whistle and blew one long shrill note from it. When I looked up, Chelsea, Renata, Santiago, Afton, Heidi and Alec were standing in front of me expectantly. "Cullen has taken matters into his own hands." I started, Afton snarled, "Jane, Felix and Demitri have been sent to retrieve him, but Felix thinks things will go badly."

"I doubt he is alone…" Santiago muttered.

"We are to be on full alert, because he will probably cause a scene when we get him back here." I said, "Which will be shortly considering Jane's… proficiency."

They all nodded, "Bex, with me." Heidi said smoothly, standing protectively by my side. Alec joined us, he was the quieter of my brothers, Felix being much louder, boisterous, childish and overall, much more playful.

"I can handle myself mom." I sighed, as she ushered me out the door.

"It's not you I worry about." She chuckled, "It's that mind reading boy. He knows every move you make before you make it." She growled the last bit, "It annoys Aro more than he'll let on that he can't have the boy's gift."

"It wouldn't help him too much in my case if we got into a fight, which won't even happen." I assured Heidi.

"Oh? What would your strategy be?"

"The usual, corner him, burn him. Done." I shrugged.

"He would hear your plan." Heidi sighed.

"That would help him if I was _physically_ attacking him, so he could block it. You can't block fire, because it's going to burn you either way." I said pensively.

"Right people!" Alec yelled, "Let's get into offense mode, Jane is on her way back!" Alec yelled. I took a deep breath, and went to my 'fight zone' as Felix called it, where I focused and let my energy fill my entire body. The beat of one of Eminem's best songs, 'Till I Collapse, filled my head.

_Sometimes you just feel tight you feel weak._

_And when you feel week, you feel like you just wanna just give up,_

_But you gotta search within you,_

_And find that inner strength and just pull that shit out of you, _

_And get that motivation to not give up, _

_And not be a quitter, _

_No matter how bad you just wanna fall on your face,_

Till I collapse!

_Till the moon comes up, _

_Till the lights go out, _

_Till my legs give out,_

_Can't shut my mouth._

I felt like that sometimes too. Like you're beaten down, but quitting is never an option. Ever. The Guard never gave up. We enforced the rules, kept the species safe, maintained the frail peace that existed between the wars of our kind with each other. I saw Felix running down the hall.

"Demitri sent me back." He breathed, "I caught the scent of some human who cut themselves and nearly lost it." He growled, "God, Aro would have killed me!"

"Relax, breath bro, we gotta focus." I said, putting my hand on his shoulder, "Jane's nearly back. Let's get ready okay, I got your back if you got mine?"

He smirked and we bumped fists, "Like always sis."

I heard it then. Footsteps coming towards the main hall. And a heartbeat. Curious. The boy wasn't alone anymore. And in they walked, the boy from before with a frail human whom he had his arms around protectively. She had long dark brown hair, and brown eyes, pale, and incredibly fragile looking. I saw Felix look at her.

"Dibs!" He called, excitement coloring his voice. A growl rose from the boy. He glowered at Felix, who sneered and beckoned Edward to fight him.

I slapped the back of Felix's head and hissed in his ears, "Focus, moron, or Aro will be angry." I whispered. His face showed disappointment, I sighed, what a child. There was another one with the two, a short black haired female vampire around the age of seventeen. Her eyes were a light gold, she glanced at me once, an obvious curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"I brought them back alive, just like you requested, master." Jane said cheerfully, but we could all hear the ice in her voice. She hated the Cullen boy for being so stupid, putting us all in danger.

"Ah, Jane! You are a comfort to me." Aro said fondly, "And Isabella and Alice as well!" His eyes fell on the human first, then the pixie girl. "What a pleasant surprise! Let us have the story then." He nodded to Demitri. Demitri stepped forward and offered Aro his hand. A few seconds later, Aro was laughing.

He looked down at the human, Isabella, "So, this is the cause of all the trouble?" He asked cheerfully, "Alice seemed to believe her dead, with her extraordinary talent. I didn't' doubt her, how curious!"

"Oh, I'm far from perfect, things change." The vampire called Alice responded.

They delved into long introductions, discussing the difference between Aro's gift and Edward's. I watched Felix carefully, concerned for his control, which was deteriorating.

I wondered idly what would happen if he snapped and killed the girl. I could stop the pixie, and Jane would take the boy, no doubt. But, it would upset Aro. And… I owed Carlisle…

The boy's eyes flicked up to mine. I didn't like him, he was stupid and rash, and disrupting the peace of Volterra. He glowered at me suddenly. I responded with a low throaty growl, slipping between my teeth. Aro paused mid-sentence and his eyes fell on me, flickering between me and Edward.

Then, they fell on Felix, who I was standing in front of, a physical barrier should he snap, and I wanted to protect my brother from the boy's angry glares. "Felix, if need be, you may leave." Aro finally said. Marcus sighed in distaste.

Felix shook his head quickly, "No master, I am fine."

"Athena, can _you_ behave yourself?" He smiled slightly.

I bowed my head, "Yes sir. But, perhaps if he would stop reacting in such a hostile way to my thoughts I would not be so irritated."

Aro laughed, "Ah, calm yourself child, all will be fine." I ground my teeth audibly until a glower from Caius silenced me.

You owe Carlisle, you owe Carlisle, you made him a promise, you owe him. I chanted in my head over and over again, trying not to picture myself tearing this imbecile apart. But he put our secret in danger… for the reason that he wanted to die?! I don't like him, at all. He's stubborn, self-centered, egotistic and… and… brooding!

"Join or die is it then? I suspected that from the moment we entered _this room_." The boy sneered suddenly, pulling me from my mental monologue.

What? No, of course those weren't the only options. The Volturi were fair and just. If he intended to turn the girl, the Volturi would let them go, easily. But he addressed them as if they were corrupt monsters! Disrespectful, and much to young and ignorant to be making such judgments!

Angrily, I glared at the boy while he continued to argue with Aro (disrespectfully and idiotically of course).

"If you intend to change her, you're free to go." Aro finally said, I nodded, it was as I expected. Fair, equal justice, no need for this boys rash actions! "Athena?"

I bowed my head.

"Please escort these three out and have them wait to leave until sunset." Aro said. I heard the distant sound of footsteps.

"Perhaps we should leave now." The boy muttered.

"Yes, accidents do happen." Aro said with a small smile. I clenched my fists at my side. Yes, accidents do happen. I knew from experience, when Afton had nearly killed me. Thank god for fire, or I would have been gone right then and there.

I gave Aro a quick nod before making my way over to the exit of the hallway. I heard three pairs of footsteps following me. As we made our way through the castle, we passed Heidi.

"Well done, my child." Heidi smiled at me, and wrapped her arms around me carefully, "This time you didn't let your temper get the better of you."

I smiled back, "I'd rather like to think I outgrew tantrums."

Heidi laughed and shook her head, "And I'd like to think that Demitri could actually be polite one day."

She began to lead her long group of 'tourists' into the castle, "Ah, Heidi!" I called, "Make sure Felix has a chance, he seemed close to losing control before." I said, Heidi nodded, "See you later then."

I lead the 'happy train' (note the dripping sarcasm) down to the waiting room, where Gianna and I had spent some 'quality time' when I was younger.

"Good afternoon Athena." Gianna said, looking up from her book, sitting at her desk. I smiled slightly, only Alec, Jane, Felix and Heidi called me 'Bex'.

"Afternoon." I replied curtly. I turned to the Cullen children. "Please take a seat, it may be a bit of a wait." I said coolly.

Wordlessly, the three sat down in the waiting room. I plopped onto the couch on the other side and grabbed one of the old books on the table. It was in Latin, but a love story, and a good book none the less.

My reading was interrupted by hysterical sobs.

"All th-those p-p-people!" The human girl spluttered. My hands clenched on my book. It's easier to not think about the people getting slaughtered, I learned that the hard way too. But, then I just remember Violetta, and how my entire village would have let me burn. Then I don't feel bad.

"So one person's actions confirm the evil of mankind and justify their deaths, then?" The boy blurted out, glowering at me.

"Does the image of a four year old chained to a post and burned to death stir up any emotions for you?" I shot back, "Because I know it does for me." He was silent after that, trying to comfort the human girl.

They were soon talking about Gianna, "How could she want to be part of… _that?"_ The human asked. That being the Guard, of course. Of course, the desire Gianna felt was complicated. Part of me wished to be the same as my brothers Alec and Felix, my sister Jane and Heidi. But, the larger part of me knew the pain would be beyond bearable, that I didn't actually want to live forever, that part of me hated Aro, Caius and Marcus, and a bigger part hated Demitri. That same part of me detested the way of life of the Volturi, the free way they killed humans without any regard for their families or lives. I knew I would have problems with that. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I killed people.

"She's hysterical, maybe you should slap her." This comment from one of them I barely heard, nor did I care to hear.

I sighed, what options did I have? Let's see… join, as forced to, or run, get tracked down and get killed, or changed, forcefully. Hmm… yeah, great. So, death and then get turned, or get turned semi-willingly.

Perhaps Edward was right… Aro seemed to bi-polar. Kind sometimes, but oddly harsh and… well, greedy.

Oh god, this sucks. I Sighed slightly and almost threw the book at the wall. Then I realized that Demitri would be _pissed_ if I trashed another one of the 'classics'. Note to self: If I do end up as a creepy vamp, kick Demitri's ass for all the years he's been a jerk. I felt a familiar anger welling up in me. This time I squelched it with a new kind of fury. Because it was my anger that I realized Demitri had been using. When I got angry, or when Demitri _made_ me angry, that's when I performed the best. Fight-wise. I kicked Felix's ass after I got into it with Demitri. He was using me. He wanted me to be unbeatable, so the Volturi could use me. Sometimes, I viewed Demitri and the three masters all in one separate group. If there was an 'us' and a 'them', they would be 'them', and my family and I would be 'us'. Jane didn't want me to have to go through the pain of the change, none of my family did. Demitri wanted me to suffer.

I rubbed my temples with a tiny hiss of frustration. It seemed to be a lose-lose situation, either way I was screwed. I'm not one to feel sorry for myself. When something corners me, I don't break down and cry. I fight until my very last goddamn breath! So what now? Did I want to be a monster? No. Was this fair? No. Was I going to let it happen? No. Was I going to try my damndest to get the hell out of here? Oh, _hell_ yes.

And, a sudden new thought. Find my mother's creator. If I can find him, I thought passively, perhaps he has a gift like mine. I always thought I got it from him. He can teach me… or I could kill him. I wasn't sure whether the former or latter pleased me more. I wanted to… tie up loose ends, to figure out just who I was… to be that once I found it. Not have my life turned upside down and ended.

It was really all I wanted, to be normal.

A door slammed loudly. I think I must have jumped about three feet in the air before tackling the unsuspecting person to the ground and slamming them against the wall.

"Um… Bex…?" Felix laughed nervously.

I felt myself almost physically deflate. I dropped Felix, my hands trembled a bit and I backed away. "Sorry." I choked.

"Bex, um… why don't you just… er… follow me for a minute." He muttered. He shot the Cullen kids a glance, "Ahm… just hang tight, okay?"

"Hanging." I heard the girl mutter sarcastically.

I followed Felix reluctantly into a tiny room used mostly for solitude. "Becca… what's wrong?" Felix asked quietly.

"I just… gah!" I almost shirked, "I'm just so confused! My head is just spinning and it makes me _sick!"_ I hurled my fist at the wall. The impact resulted in an unexpected, unplanned, burst of flames, showering me in sparks and knocking me backwards. I let out a tiny shriek.

Felix picked me up, "Rebecca… I don't really know how to say this…" He began, "But just… it's _okay to be sad_." He finally breathed, "You don't have to try to be perfect, you're human. It's okay, you can cry. It's allowed." He said.

I threw my arms around him and sobbed. For the first time in my life, I felt cheated, robbed. I hadn't thought before that the Volturi were taking my life away from me, because they told me I owed them my life. But I wanted my life back!

I hadn't cried since I was five. Reasons? Well, because I had been holding it all in. I knew if I starte3d crying I wouldn't be able to stop. The emotions of ten years were just bottled up inside me, ready to explode.

"I don't want to die." I choked out.

Felix sighed and patted my head, "I know Bex, I know."

"I… I want to find my mom, and whoever changed her, and just be human for a while." I muttered sadly.

Felix looked at me, his eyes were bright crimson but his face read of sincerity. He paused for a split second. "Follow me." He said suddenly.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the waiting room. I stumbled one step, before desperately wiping my eyes. No one ever saw me cry. "Gianna, call Jane, Alec and Heidi." Felix said curtly.

Gianna nodded quickly.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I demanded in a low hiss.

"Relax, just… go with it. Count to five, breath." Felix shot me a cocky smirk. I counted to five in my head and exhaled. "Haha, it worked didn't it?" Felix chuckled, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"No." I snapped, smacking his hand away, were he human I would have shattered his wrist.

"Felix." Jane said coolly, a certain glint in her eyes.

"Hey, we're going to escort to human-huggers back to the airport." Felix smirked in the 'human-huggers'.

"Felix… you know that technically you hug humans to, right?" Heidi shrugged casually, pointing to me.

"Monkey doesn't count." Felix sniffed, "She doesn't smell like a human."

I punched his shoulder, "It's impolite to smell people." I snickered.

"Yay! She laughed!"

"Shut up." I grumbled.

After that, we fell silent and started winding our way back to the streets of Volterra. I took a deep breath of air, it was so pure and fresh. It made me sad, because soon I wouldn't need it. And the air would be full off painful scents.

The boy shot me a glance full of pity. I didn't bother snarling at him, I felt to awful. As we left the final outer courtyard, I paused. Felix had stopped in front of me and was fishing through a storage closet. He pulled out three things.

"Catch." He tossed me a small blue hiking backpack. "Don't open it." He muttered, then grabbed handed me the two more familiar objects. My bow, and a tiny sling with arrows wrapped carefully into a bundle that I could easily pull out when I needed.

"Will I need it?" I asked skeptically, taking my bow and feeling warmth hum through my hand as it resonated in the wood.

"Possibly." Felix said shortly, then started walking again. To my surprise, without another backwards glance, he started_ running_ down the winding ally ways.

"FELIX!" I shrieked furiously at him, and bolted off in the direction he had just gone. The Cullen kids ran behind me, making a barrier between the human and Jane, Alec and Heidi who ran behind them. I nearly caught up to him too, and heard him laughing like a child. Then the girl, Alice was running alongside me. She looked at me curiously, not at all concentrating on where she was going because she didn't have to.

"Hi." I said awkwardly after a second.

"You don't know this… but Felix has a plan to help you." She whispered.

"Uh… what?" I stammered, "I have no idea what you're talking about miss."

She smiled at me, "Carlisle will be so happy when he hears."

I paused, "How is he?"

"Oh, just fine. He's working at another hospital… and Esme, his wife, has this lovely garden! It's full of all kinds of exotic plants and colors." Alice beamed.

I blinked. It all seemed so… trivial. But at the same time, it made me want to have a garden, with flowers and a nice green yard. "Oh." I managed.

"Left!" Heidi called, and I nearly missed the turn, skidding to a near stop, the tip of my nose. I squeaked and my knees buckled, I would have ended up on the ground if Jane hadn't caught me.

"Look where you're going Monkey!" Jane laughed.

"S'not so easy." I muttered, rubbing my nose.

"Okay, airport!" Felix clapped his hands loudly, the human girl winced at the sound. "Cullens, erm… well, let's see." Felix seemed to be deep in thought for a second. "Jane, Heidi, Alec, perimeter, nothing that isn't alive gets in after us, including _any of the guard._" Felix said sharply, "Athena and I go in with the Cullens."

The airport was crowded. Incredibly so. I had never been around so many people! They were bumping into me, and I could barely see where I was going. It was so loud that my sensitive ears began ringing.

"Three tickets to Seattle, and one two London." Felix practically purred to the lady at the counter.

"I'm s-sorry sir… all the flights are booked…" She stammered, barely coherent.

Felix quickly frowned, his demeanor changing, "Perhaps I should mention that this is official business concerning Aro…" He muttered.

"Oh!" The women squeaked, "Of course, three tickets to Seattle and one to London right away!"

Felix looked at me seriously, "Bex, you're getting on that plane, and going to London."

I was speechless, I felt like I'd been slapped actually. "Ch-… _che!?"_ I burst out finally.

"You're sixteenth birthday is in two weeks…" He started slowly. "Just, let's get the Cullens headed back to America, first."

"I think we've got it." Alice chirped.

Felix glowered at her suddenly, "You speak one _word_ of this to anyone, anyone at all, if _anything_ happens to my little sister, I will track you down. And I will kill you, _and_ the rest of your family." He snarled lowly. Alice smiled briefly, and they headed off into the sea of humans.

"Felix." I murmured, "What's going on?"

"Rebecca I can't watch you suffer anymore. I… I won't let you become a monster, I want you to be free, to be able to experience what it's like to be human. And find the man who changed your father. I want you be able to choose your own path, and have your own dreams." He said, his eyes searching mine. "I can't let my little sister suffer anymore."

I trembled slightly. I didn't know what to feel, scared, happy… sad, angry even? Felix looked at me sadly, "I just… you were raised by something you aren't. Look at me Bex, I'm not human. I've had my life robbed from me. I'll never, _ever_ get it back. I can't let that happen to you. They've already started taking your life away from you, and I watched it happen! You don't have a childhood, Bex! We forced you to grow up, to learn how to fight and become more powerful. We've… used you, and that was just so wrong. But I won't let them take your life away from you."

I felt an odd feeling, one I hadn't really ever felt before. I wrapped my arms tightly around Felix and hugged him. He was giving me my life, which had never been mine to posses. He was my brother, and I would remember and miss him for the rest of my mortal life. He sighed.

"Come on Monkey," He tugged on my hand lightly, "you can't afford to miss this plane ride."

"Aro." I mouthed in a panic.

"Won't know a thing." He muttered, "He never checks my thoughts, thinks I'm too stupid… and I haven't told Heidi, Alec or Jane yet, so he'll never know until it's far too late."

"Why London?" I whispered.

"Because… well, I wanted you to go to Ireland because there's a coven there who might know about who changed your mother, but if I got a ticket to Ireland, someone would notice." He sighed.

"Thank you." I choked out. I hugged him tightly, and his arms wrapped around me just as tightly.

We passed through security quickly and almost silently, "Heidi, Jane and Alec," I murmured their names in the order that I would miss them the most.

"I'll tell them after." Felix muttered back as I picked up the backpack at the other end of security.

"Oh god." I squeaked, as we made our way to terminal six.

"When you get to London… just be very careful." Felix murmured, "There's _hundreds_ of vampires living underground in London. _You're smell_ is… is… different, it's not human, not like us, it's a mix. And it _calls_ to us like a homing beacon. I… everywhere you go, they'll track you, driven by curiosity… they'll think it's thirst. I'm so sorry Bex. It's so much more dangerous for you to live this way, but it's better." He muttered.

I felt tears spilling over my eyes as Felix walked me over to where the plane was boarding. "I love you, my brother." I whispered, "I will never forget you."

**Moving right along as promised! ;) Big thank you to everyone following this story, because you're my motivation. So Bex is headed for adventure, and getting the opportunity she always wanted but never could get. It was always her dream to be free, but she could never grasp it. Hence the title chapter **_**'Grasping Dreams'**_** because she can finally hold those dreams. Will it last? Gotta stick with me to find out! **

**Reviews make stories better, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**-Zeri!**


	6. Chapter 5 Find Yourself

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot and the characters Rebecca Medachi (Athena), Connie and Annalise Blitz are mine, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 5- Find Yourself

**Bex POV-**

I stood there, just off the plane, backpack slung over my shoulder, wondering what the hell to do next. I wasn't crying anymore, I was done crying. I had decided that, I wouldn't let myself live as someone who ran away because they couldn't handle a hard life. Then, I set out into London. I got myself a job, well… not a legal job, but it paid. And it suited my skills, I tracked people down who had broken the law and turned them in. I was a bounty hunter in a way. And a more legal job for the purpose of a cover, I worked at a local bookstore.

And, damn, it paid really well! In the first two months I made the equivalent of $5,000 US dollars, which was amazing for me. By the third month, I was no longer staying in a hotel, and renting a small apartment. It was in the basement of an old warehouse, there were three other apartments in the complex. The walls and ceiling were concrete, but the floor was sealed wood. I got permission to splash paint on the walls and immediately went to go buy some paint. Idly, I wondered how long I would stay in London. I still had to go find the man who changed my mother…

I would go to Ireland.

I would find the man who changed my father.

And I would kill him.

I clenched my teeth and walked quickly to the nearest café, changing my course suddenly. I got green tea with mint, my favorite, and sipped it, trying to soother my anger. No one was there to use it anymore, so it simply simmered there. Sighing, I put the cup down and checked through my backpack.

"Ah!" I gasped, pulling out a perfect, fake passport, ID stating I was a legal adult, and drivers license. I didn't even have my learners permit. Felix, you are a life saver! I had already thanked him numerous times for these fake papers.

"That's a pretty good fake." I heard a smooth chilled voice, a smirk no doubt on the speaker's face.

"Zitto, bastard!" I hissed furiously, spinning around. I came face to face, within inches, of a smirking vampire. "Cazzo." I cursed, wide eyed.

Quickly, much faster than I should have, I grabbed my backpack, my bow wrapped in white cloth in my other hand, and stood up. I heard my cup of tea shatter on the ground as I started running.

"Hey! Hey!" I heard someone yelling, running behind me, "HEY! STOP!"

I tore the white clothe from my bow and slung it over my shoulder. Putting my head down, I pictured Felix's face as he warned me about London. God, idiot, I thought to myself, I should have taken him more seriously! This place was swimming with vampires! I was furious for not being more aware!

But now that I was paying attention, I saw the blond female in front of me just in time to stop before slamming into her. I stopped inches from her. She sneered at me. I deep, throaty snarl rose from my throat, exposing my teeth. My teeth were not like that of a vampires, but as Felix could attest to I packed one hell of a bite. A tiny, miniscule, amount of venom coated them, and they were perfectly white. My teeth were stronger than humans, in a fight with Felix, I had actually _bit_ him, and in surprise he shrieked, and threw me to the other side of the room. Because I had actually cut him, and left a small mark. He started roaring with laughter after that. He thought it was hysterical I had inherited a trade like from the man who changed my mother. Aro found it very interesting, and as a sort of test had my bite a piece of cloth, which was then tested. It had venom on it. Vampire venom, not very strong, but there none the less. After that, it was suggested I actually _drink blood_ just to see. Demitri forced it down my throat and I choked on it, promptly barfed, and declared it the most _disgusting_ and _repulsing_ thing I had ever tasted. Felix laughed until he collapsed on the floor.

The blonde's smile faltered. I smirked and kicked her legs out from under her.

"Ci vediamo." I sniffed condescendingly, looking at the blond who sat dumbstruck on the ground.

"Not quite." An arm snaked around my neck. I gasped as I was whirled around. It was a boy, with short dark hair, and dark crimson eyes. He was much taller than I, and no doubt stronger. Right now he was crushing my wind pipe. I glowered and slammed my elbow into his jugular. He wheezed for a second but then laughed, his grip didn't loosen.

What did fire need to burn? Oxygen.

So, with the last of my air supply, I let the energy flow freely to finger tips and fire sprang from my hands. I reached up and gripped the arm around my neck, feeling the fire lick my face eagerly, but not burn. No, it was my fire, it knew not to hurt me. But the man suffocating me screamed.

I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air like a fish, my fire still burning off _my_ oxygen that I had previously breathed. My vision was only in pinpoint tunnels as I struggled to my knees.

Someone jerked me to my feet sharply, a hand around my neck. "Name." The male growled.

"That's none of your-"

His hand pressed sharply against my neck, I saw stars, "_Name."_

"Athena Volturi!" I gasped out.

"Lies! Your ID states Rebecca Glen-Ann!"

"Fake!" I choked.

His dull red eyes leveled with mine, "You, human, are no Volturi." He sneered.

My vision turned grey around the edges, and I squirmed uncontrollably, my body convulsing and buckling as I fought desperately to free myself and get air. My hand reached for my sleeve and pushed it up. My 'V' shaped scar shimmering in the dull moonlight. With a gasp, the hand dropped from my neck and I slid to the ground, trembling slightly.

"H-h-how…?" The female's voice trembled.

"I was raised by them, recruited for my talent." I mumbled feebly, my entire body shaking from the drop off of adrenaline, my heart still pounding in my chest.

"I see, it makes sense Con, that they would recruit her from a young age, to corrupt her young mind." The female spoke.

"But Anna…" The male muttered, "She would still be with them, wouldn't she?" I felt their eyes fall on me.

"Felix," I mumbled weakly, "he was like a brother… wanted me to be able to have my own life."

"Oh." 'Con' said. "I see… erm, well… sorry for all the… the rash reaction Ms. Glen-Ann." He murmured an apology.

"Oh," I snorted sarcastically, "it's no big deal, I was just going to buy some paint, but since I can barely walk anymore I guess I'll just head home."

"Ahm… my apologies." Con muttered.

"So, you know my name… I think I know yours…" I started,

"Connie Blitz and my little sister Annalise." Connie said happily patting his sister on the head.

"Ah. I was known as Rebecca Medachi before I was adopted by the Volturi, where they call me Athena, Felix crafted the name Bex as a nickname, and my 'fake' name for now is Rebecca Glen-Ann." I said shakily.

"Interesting." Connie mused. "Why London?"

"I am searching for the man who changed my mother." I said firmly.

"So you _are_ her." Annalise gasped, "Athena!" She and her brother recoiled from me slightly. "Oh my, the Volturi will soon be here, looking for you, oh this is bad!"

"Nah, I ditched them." I yawned, "A couple of months ago, I took a plane so Demitri couldn't track me."

"Oh." Connie said absentmindedly, "Erm… do you want some help with, what is it you said you were doing?"

"Buying paint for my apartment." I sighed, standing up and stretching my back, which cracked in protest. I sniffed in slight pain.

"We could help you." Annalise offered.

"Oh, no that's not necessary." I laughed.

"Please," Annalise almost interrupted, "It's the least we could do."

"Molto buono, molto buono." I mused with a slight chuckle.

"Erm… can we stick to English, per favore?" Connie asked, his pronunciation of 'thank you' shaky and unnatural, sounding more like 'pear fav-ray'

"Ugh, yeah, help me up Blitz." I grumbled, and he took my hand and helped me up. "I'm gonna get you back for this, hope you know that."

The young vampire sighed, he and his sister appeared to be around my age. But I wasn't so naïve to believe they actually were.

"OOOOOOHHH!!!" I squealed and painted to a tiny paint shop, Annalise winced and Connie jumped. "Ew… that was girly and obnoxious wasn't it?" I asked, Connie groaned and nodded. "Right, never again." I mumbled.

I lead the way, walking into the shop and started looking at colors.

"Oh, Rebecca, look at this, spring green, canary yellow, lavender… spring colors!" Annalise sighed happily, "I love interior decorating."

"Umm… I was thinking more, dark blue, maroon and a nice deep purple, oh, then a splash of white for some excitement to the eye." I smirked as it came together in my head.

"Oh, _hell yes!"_ Connie sighed, his odd British accent flavoring the words quite nicely, "She's such a posh interior decorator, all pink and fluffy this, and spring colour that! Finally another sane person, I would have gone mental if I had to help paint one more room pink!"

We slapped a high five. He slightly reminded me of Felix, it was a comfort, but at the same time made me sad.

"You stupid twit, you can't _go_ mad because you're already barking!" Annalise said, miffed at her brother's comment.

"That hurt 'lise, that hurt." Connie muttered.

"Oh shove it you two." I grumbled, picking out the paints I wanted, "The last thing I need is two bickering bloodsuckers hanging around me. Well, not again." I finished with a wink.

Annalise laughed. We headed off to get brushes. She sighed, "It's so interesting to be friendly towards a human."

"Interesting indeed, you should try it more often." I smirked to myself.

She laughed, "No I mean, it's nice to have a friend."

"A human friend." I corrected.

"No… no really." She smiled at me, "Connie and I usually keep to ourselves… but for some reason your odd scent…"

"It appeals to all vampires." I murmured, looking up, "I know."

"It must be difficult." She sighed,

"Yeah, I usually like to try to stay out of trouble, the fact that I can be easily tracked sucks." I commented dryly.

"But, what I meant to say is that, as a person, you are very easy to get along with." She said earnestly, though a bit awkwardly, "I would like to be your friend."

"Cool." I smiled casually.

The paint was cheap and I returned hope, Connie carrying it for me, Annalise trying to talk me into some elegant paining design,

"Actually," I interrupted, "I was planning on sloshing and splattering it on the walls."

Annalise frowned, but then shrugged. When we finally got back, Annalise elbowed Connie, "We should get back." She said with a pleasant smile.

"Okay, see you guys around then." I smiled back.

"Yeah, cool." Connie said cheerfully, waving over his shoulder as he left.

I shut the door to the building behind me and made my way down the stairs. My key clicked loudly and the door swung open. I sighed, looking at my dismal apartment. Spreading newspaper on the ground, I began humming an unfamiliar tune to myself. I wandered over to my radio and flicked it on. I was surprised, it was a band called Flyleaf. I rather liked it.

I flicked the lights off, and with a perfectly memorized motion, a flame shot across my room, lighting the twenty seven candles I had along the wall. Why twenty seven? Because the store only had twenty seven candles, that's why.

I grabbed the paint cans and picked up the purple first, sloshing a good fourth of it at the wall.

I liked the effect, so I dipped my hand in the blue and flung splatters across the purple. Then the maroon on the next wall, almost covering it before I started splattering white on it.

I laughed, there was paint all over me before I even touched the white. I cranked my radio louder, getting purple, maroon and blue on the dial. I squinted at the far wall, where the door was. Then, I had a brilliant idea. Carefully, I let flames crawl all over the wall. The effect then was dark smudges, making the walls look old, but covered in the new paint… it was an odd total feeling, but I liked it.

I sat back after I was finished, looking at the splattered pain on the walls, which now covered my hands and was smeared on my arms, and no doubt my face and hair as well. It was completely unique, a work of art. And, oddly, it made me feel good to.

I took a long shower, rinsing all the paint off me, enjoying the hot water. I figured it was just about night time, time for my not quiet legal job. Toweling off my hair, I grabbed a light black shirt and my pair of old school combat boots.

My phone rang loudly, making me jump.

"Alo?"

"Rebecca… we need to talk." Annalise said into the phone.

"How'd you get my number?" I demanded.

"Uh… you have it written on the back of your cell phone."

"Oh." Was all I said, "Well… um, come on over I guess then… I'm the fourth apartment in the basement." As I finished my sentence, the phone clicked.

I knew better than to be surprised when the two materialized in my apartment less than thirty seconds later. I was sitting on my bed (my apartment had one big room, with the bed on a raised piece of ground, and a bathroom. That's it.) cross legged, one elbow on my knee, chin in my hand waiting, staring at the door.

"Rar." Connie snorted, "We didn't scare her at all."

"I've lived with scarier than you." I said idly. "What is it you needed to talk to me about?" I asked.

Annalise, silently, went over to the tiny television and turned it on.

'_In earlier news, a teenage girl has been missing for almost four months, after she disappeared from just outside of Volterra Italy.'_ The reporter said.

I sucked in a shocked breath, this couldn't be. Simply couldn't.

* * *

**Alice POV-**

"Everyone!" I shouted loudly, "Look!" I pointed to the television.

A picture, with the bright words 'MISSING, PRESUMED KIDNAPPED' under it was on the screen. The picture was that of a fifteen year old girl. She was pretty, her skin naturally tanned by birth, and kissed by the sun. She had raven black hair that shimmered slightly in the light of the photo. She smiled shyly in the photo, dressed in a school uniform. Her eyes, which were full of unspoken confidence and an odd happiness, were a peculiar color. A light lavender, the color of spring flowers, the irises of the eyes practically glowed of the color. They were not contacts, one could tell that much without a second glance.

'_Rebecca Athena Medachi was reported missing from Volterra, Italy more than three months ago, her concerned parents have been desperately searching ever since.' _The reporter spoke, _'The girls family had a powerful say in local government, and they have narrowed down the search significantly with help from several national Guards, including England, Germany and the United States.'_

"Wow, you'd think a celebrity went missing." Emmett grumbled.

"SHUT UP!" I exploded. I had seen the future for her, it was nice, bright. This would seriously screw things up.

'_It is believe that she somehow ended up in London, and a large search is under way. Rebecca Medachi was known as an excellent student, was in several community service projects, and her father being Santiago Medachi, a prominent government figure, made this kidnapping an attack on Italian government.'_

"Wasn't Santiago one of the Guard?" Esme asked quietly, I nodded stiffly.

A vision took over my senses.

_Rebecca glared a hole in the rear view mirror, "You have five seconds before I blow us all sky high." She snarled._

_Demitri laughed loudly, making Felix, in the passenger seat, wince. "Oh please Athena, you would not kill yourself. You are to spineless." He sneered._

"_I would rather die on my feet," Rebecca took a deep breath, "than die on my knees."_

_Felix whipped around, eyes wide in panic. Rebecca winked at him, without a smile. He vanished, the passenger door opening and closing in a split second._

"_Goodbye Felix." She murmured. In Demitri's mind, her plan clicked. His eyes widened as fire erupted from Rebecca's palms. It engulfed the car in the blink of an eye. The gas tank caught on fire, and the car exploded in a bright flash._

"_REBECCA!"_

I gasped. No, not me, my brother. "Why would she do that?" Edward muttered, in slight shock.

"I don't know!" I wailed desperately, "Damnit, she was getting another chance! I _saw_ it, she would get a job, and get to live a normal human life! _Damnit!"_ I growled.

"She knew she wouldn't actually get a normal life, Alice." Carlisle spoke suddenly, "She was prepared for that." He was frowning slightly.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"When I visited Volterra, before we moved back to Forks. She was there, and asked to leave for a while, because they were having a vote on whether or not to let her be human for a couple more years. Oddly, Jane seemed like a sister to her, like they were close. But, Rebecca was very guarded when we spoke." He began. Edward frowned,

"You never spoke about this." He said slowly.

"The Voltrui preferred if I kept Rebecca's existence a secret. They made that very clear." He chuckled slightly. "You see, I found out why they wanted to keep her quickly. She can _create_ and _control_ fire. Which, being the only thing that can truly destroy us, would be useful to the Volturi. While I was talking with her, she caught the scent of a vampire in the city whom she didn't recognize."

"She can _smell_ us?" Edward demanded.

"She is partially like us… a mix, if you will. Her mother being bitten while she was still pregnant with Rebecca caused some of the venom to mix with Rebecca's system in a more natural way than if she was bitten." Carlisle explained. I never even thought that was possible! "This made her stronger, quicker and more durable than most humans. Her eyesight, hearing and reflexes were also much better than I thought they should be."

"Wow." I breathed, "I didn't think she was that different."

"She is." Carlisle nodded, "And once she caught this vampires scent, she tracked it down. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a newborn."

Jasper sucked in a breath next to me. I took his hand in mine, and I could almost feel him calm down. "How did she…?" Jasper started to ask.

"_You_ stopped the newborn?" Edward burst out, all eyes snapped up to Carlisle, who was always the peaceful one.

"Not completely." Carlisle muttered, "I helped Rebecca, because I didn't want to see her die. She burnt the entire building down though, nearly killed herself doing so because she lost control."

"Lost control?"

"The fire…" He paused, considering, "The fire she creates comes from within her, it's her _own energy_, and when she uses a lot of it, she begins to drain her own life energy. Now, though she is very powerful, the amount of energy that the flame has added to her is substantial, creating another imbalance in her. Because she can't possibly control that amount of energy though she is only partially mortal, even an immortal would have problems with it. In the end, the flame she created did kill the newborn, but it also consumed her. Once she could no longer supply the flame with energy, it fed on the energy she would normally use to live, breath and function." He frowned, "That's her one major downfall. The use of her gift is a balancing act."

"It can serve her well, but it can also drain her like a newborn can a corpse."

**So, now I've intertwined the Cullens a bit more, because Alice is watching Rebecca. She has a reason, and you'll find out in later chapters. As the plot picks up, the Cullens will be more involved. Review? Oh, and happy Easter to everyone celebrating out there ;)**


	7. Chapter 6 Far From Nowhere

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot and the characters Rebecca Medachi (Athena), Connie and Annalise Blitz are mine, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 6- Far From Nowhere

**Rebecca:**

"I don't want to leave." I sighed sadly, my hand brushing against my backpack. I had accumulated more than could fit in it, but it was all I could afford to take with me.

"I'm sorry Rebecca…" Annalise muttered, giving me a brief hug. "I wish you could have stayed longer."

"Me too."

I closed my eyes, and the fire in my candles blinked out. I picked up one of them, it had a wolf howling at the moon carved into the black wax. I had liked this one particularly, because the wolf seemed so free… It was the only candle I would be bringing with me. Annalise sighed from somewhere behind me.

"You really gave this place life." She said, staring at the walls, and the decorative paint I had done, as well as the neon green bed sheets I bought, because I didn't like the ugly crème colored ones.

"We're going to miss you." Connie mumbled.

I drew in a shaky breath and stuffed one more tee-shirt into my tiny backpack. I managed to fit three pairs of jeans, two of shorts, and five shirts. Other than that, I had my fake ID's, my candle. Annalise silently pressed a small silver chain into my heart. It was a bracelet, with one charm, a rectangular English flag. I hugged her one more time.

"I'm going to miss you guys to." I muttered.

They hung their heads sadly as I walked by them, my grey cloak swirled as I moved. I only wore it because it could mostly hide me face and features unless someone _really_ knew me. As I opened the door, and the air rushed in, I smelled to late the scent of another vampire. Frozen in place, my eyes widened as Demitri shot me a victorious smirk.

"Athena." He said coolly, tilting his head to one side.

Connie lunged forward, his arm was around my neck in a split second and he snarled at Demitri. "Back off or I kill the human." He growled. Shock was written all over Demitri's face.

"She was kidnapped…" He muttered.

"Back up!" Connie snapped, his grip tightening. I gasped loudly, I didn't think he realized at he was actually hurting me.

"You kill her and you'll have the entire Guard after you!" Demitri hissed.

"Well before now you weren't even close were you?" Connie sneered. Annalise snapped to his side, a animalistic hiss slipped from her teeth. I squirmed and thrashed, putting on a show, and looked at Demitri pleadingly, I had to play along.

"_Asino!"_ I managed to choke out, my voice contorted and breathless from lack of air. Annalise cuffed me, and light lit up my vision momentarily.

"Stop!" Demitri said, slightly panicked. "Don't kill her, she is incredibly important."

"Can't… breathe….!" And I wasn't kidding. Demitri mouthed the word 'fire' at me. To put on a good show, I let fire trickle to my fingertips, making it as weak as possible. It flickered multiple times before finally dying. Demitri blinked in shock.

"Okay, okay!" Demitri stepped aside. That was the last thing I heard before I passed out.

* * *

"Rebecca… Rebecca…?" Annalise shook me awake.

"Ugh, Connie… what part of 'humans need _oxygen_' do you not get?" I groaned.

"Um… I was being convincing." He said innocently. I opened my eyes, it was dark, almost pitch black. I took a deep breath through my nose and instantly regretted it.

"_Oh gross!"_ I shrieked, "Where are we a sewer, y-" Connie clamped his hand over my mouth.

"Yes we're in a sewer, I'm sorry for the smell, breath through your mouth, Demitri is somewhere above us so _shut up_." He whispered quickly.

As my eyes adjusted, I stood up, and instantly felt dizzy, "Oww…" I hissed, "Damnit Annalise."

She sent me an apology look. "Come on, if we move quick enough we can catch a plane from France."

"France?! How the f-" Connie clamped his hand over my mouth again, I sighed, "Right," I tried again in a whisper, "How are we getting to France?"

"Swim the channel, duh." Connie said as though it were obvious. "You can swim, right?"

"Of course I can!" I hissed defensively, "I just hate water."

"Deal." Annalise huffed, "We either swim are you have to fight, which means they figure out that you weren't actually kidnapped."

I was silent, "You realize now… the Guard wants your heads on metal spikes, right?" I asked slowly after a pause.

"Well…"

"Thanks." I said sincerely.

"No problem." Connie said. We sat in silence for about three minutes before we could no longer hear footsteps. "_Move._" He hissed under his breath. We dashed down the cement walkway of the sewer, there was a dim light, moonlight seeping in at the end of the tunnel. I could smell open air, and seawater, the former making me soar, the later making me sick.

The tunnel ended abruptly, and dropped almost twenty feet before there was water. I leapt into the air and took a last moment gulp of air before hitting the water. _AAAAHHHH COLD, GROSS! EW!!!_ My mind and body shrieked in protest. I swam to the surface, shivering and twitching, my body trying it's best to get used to the dark, _cold,_ slimy water I was in. Connie surfaced next to me and started shaking with laughter.

"Hahaha, it's so funny, haha, _fuck you."_ I snapped angrily, my teeth chattering so violently they clicked together about ten times per second.

"Alright, come on blaze girl, let's go before you freeze into a popsicle." Annalise chirped. And we started swimming. At first it was no problem, mostly. Because swimming was easy and rhythmic. But then my legs and arms started going numb with cold. I was struggling to keep up. Connie dropped back and supported me for a while so I could take a break.

My entire body was shaking and quivering. "C-c-c-can't-t we just st-t-teal a boat-t?" I stuttered.

"Um, well… no?" He managed.

"Okay, well… back off for a second then." I managed. He let go and I sunk back into the water. Flames roared from my hands and engulfed me. The water around me warmed and bubbled. I sighed as feeling returned to me feet and hands.

"Alright, let's go before someone notices you turning the channel into a Jacuzzi." Connie chuckled. The rest of the way across was as much a nightmare as the first part. By the time we got to France, I was shaking so bad I could barely stand.

"New rule," I said, my teeth clicking together, "from now on _I_ plan the escapes." I kneeled down on the cool sand.

"Well if that's true, where to now?" Connie asked patiently.

"Does anyone… have like, a directory of all the vampires who are, and were, alive in history?" I managed, nearly biting my own tongue clean off in the process.

"Hmm… well depends." Connie said slowly.

"On what?"

"On whether or not you feel like being dinner for the vamps who take care of the archives." Annalise murmured. I sighed heavily. Great. Well this just sucked.

"You know what? No. I'm not giving up that easy." I said standing up, "No way, I've always wanted to find the asshole who made me the way I am, and a couple of bloodsucking bastards aren't enough to get in my way anymore." I thought it was a great mini speech until I got really dizzy, hiccupped, and spit a bunch of sea water out on the beach. "Ugh, fuck the ocean." I groaned.

Annalise laughed and caught me as I stumbled around. "Alright, Romania bound then." She said cheerfully, "Russia first… then through to Romania because we got Volturi swarming all other routes." She said thoughtfully.

"Russia it is." Connie nodded, we walked onto the shore like drowned rats, and began searching for a way to get plane tickets to Russia.

Less than three hours later, when I was completely exhausted and sleep deprived, we were in a small hotel in France. I was rubbing my hair vigorously with a towel, trying to dry it. Annalise, who's beautiful blonde hair made me slightly envious, braided her own hair expertly in a very fashion-conscious way. I brushed mine then put it into a tight, official looking French braid that's only purpose was to keep it _the hell out of my face._ Felix called it a soldier-braid, and he liked to twirl it around in his hand, laughing and tickling me at the same time. Heidi thought it 'didn't do justice to my pretty face' and Jane was the one who had taught me how to do it.

A sore aching was brought to my heart as I remembered my odd, dysfunctional family.

"Oi, girlies, if you're done trying to pretty we need to get going." Connie called from the other end of the room. Annalise chuckled and I grabbed my backpack, my bow had barely fit into it.

We were Russia bound.

**Shorter, yes, however I hope you still enjoyed it. Review? And sorry for the delay, my computer died, and had to be sent back to Dell, and now I have a computer that is limping along, and will probably crash again. :(**


	8. Chapter 7 Keep Your Cards Close

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot and the characters Rebecca Medachi (Athena), Connie and Annalise Blitz are, as well as Dylan, mine, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter Seven- Keep Your Cards Close

**Rebecca POV-**

I twitched uncomfortably in my seat. On my first plane ride, to London, I was so hysterical that I hadn't observed as much as I was now.

Planes were just so incredibly… fragile. Tiny, I was squished against so many humans that the only thing I could hear over the roar of the engines was the thrumming of hundreds of hearts. The silence of the two next to me was my only comfort. Though Annalise was wearing dark brown contacts and Connie sunglasses, they were just as uncomfortable as me.

I swear I was going insane, each time the plane trembled in the air, I clenched my teeth and my hands clamped down on the armrests even tighter. Paranoid about blowing up the plane, I kept the humming, pulsing, energy of my flame bound much tighter than necessary for the entire flight.

When we touched down, I was the first one off the plane, gasping in the fresh air like a crazy person. Connie didn't even laugh at me, he shot me a pained look and we shot off into the woods with just our backpacks.

"Going hunting." Connie choked out, "Be back in a few."

"I'm guessing this is the part where I stay put and don't get into trouble." I grumbled. He nodded stiffly.

Glancing around, I decided to get at least semi-used to my surroundings. It was oddly beautiful, snow covering the ground like sugar and thousands of tall, dark pine trees. I sat on my jacket to keep myself dry and willingly relaxed into sleep, not exactly knowing where I was, but I didn't care much either.

I awoke to a kind of shuffling sound. Unfortunately, I'd always been a heavy sleeper… which is bad if you're on the run, in unknown places with people after you all the time. My eyes flew open and I jolted upright, someone had their hand clamped over my mouth.

"Sshhhh… ah, ah, hush child." A smooth, silky voice said, the other hand covering my eyes.

"Don't hurt her." I heard Connie's voice, panicked. "She has nothing to do with it."

"The Volturi's prize little girl?" The voice asked coolly, it was male. "And how is that so?"

"I-uh, she ran away."

"Clearly why the entire world believes her kidnapped." Another equally smooth voice said.

"A cover." Annalise's footsteps made a light crunching noise as she walked through the snow. She wasn't being restrained. A hand reached into my coat pocket, and pulled out my passport. "Her cover name is Rebecca Glen-Ann, if she were kidnapped why would she have fake papers?" Annalise asked.

"And we're not exactly the kidnapping type." Connie added.

"True." The voice sighed. The hands on my mouth and eyes were removed. I was eye to eye with something that made me want to scream, burn the forest to the ground and run. One of the Romanians. Vladimir. I could feel my skin crawling, and remembered that my instincts of hate towards the Romanians only came from my time in Volterra. Still, I barely kept myself from punching him in the face.

"So, child…" Stefan drawled,

"We hear from your friends you are trying to locate another vampire," Vladimir continued,

"And that you need the use of our archives to do so." Stefan finished.

"Oh, damnit, you guys," I muttered, "do I have to watch you like your little kids when you go hunting to?!" Connie shot me a grimace and Annalise sighed. I turned to Vladimir and resisted (again) the urge to growl, "Yeah, I'm lookin' for someone, what can you do to help?" Sure, there was acid in my voice, but lately there's always acid in my voice.

"Seeing as the Volturi raised you, they wouldn't have told you that we keep the records of all alive, dead and undead." Vladimir smirked. My jaw nearly hit the ground.

"You seem surprised." Stefan said coolly.

"Yeah. Kind of." I said, finally getting to my feet, "I was told you guys were dead, saw pictures though." The last part was a slight sneer. While these guys were still alive (scratch that, 'cuz apparently they still are) they were know to be deceptive, untrustworthy and traitors. Not to mention cruel and ruthless. Sure, this may seem like a tea party right now, but we were really all in serious trouble.

"She doesn't trust us." Vladimir said, his voice wispy, face unreadable. "Interesting."

"Do you really expect her to, brother?" Stefan sighed, "She's a _Volturi._" He drawled.

"I am _not."_ I spit out furiously, "Not then, I was still just me. I'm _not one of them_, not then, not now, not _ever._" I fumed.

Vladimir leaned back pensively, "Such anger…"

"You would think that…" Stefan cut in.

"You actually resent them…"

"The ones who raised you."

"It is so creepy that you complete each other's sentences." I muttered, tilting my head slightly to one side and narrowing my eyes.

Small gestures. I had learned that much. That small gestures spoke greatly, gestures of impatience spoke confidence in certain situations. The folding of one's arms across the chest was both a sign of impatience and power, it is a dare for someone to set you off in the book of 'vamp body language'. A snarl is more than aggressive, it's the opening line of a fight. You can't negotiate once you snarl, because you've opened yourself up for attack. All words have double meanings, they're all tests. To test your reactions, what emotions the words bring up are made to pressure you, to test you, to read you and see if you can be trusted, or easily killed. And, the most important of them all was often your eyes. Eyes speak for people, even when they are silent. A good poker player can often be called on a bluff because of his eyes. It's best to find an easy, neutral or offensive emotion that one can bring into play with minimal effort and use it for unstable situations.

I've been told my eyes burn. That my eyes are on fire when I stare people, that I can stare right through them and make grown (human of course) men quake. Combine this with my unnatural eye color, and I truly look far from human.

There was a silence while I let my eyes burn into Vladimir's. His were dead. Flat, void of emotion.

"You have quite a temper, don't you?" Stefan finally said.

"I've been told." I said icily.

"Ah well… before we show a _human_," Vladimir sniffed, "our archives, a small test."

I paused, "What kind of t-" Something slammed into me from behind. Twirling around I drove my foot into it and flipped to my feet. I faced a newborn. "Oh." I breathed, "That kind of test."

"We would have prefer he been older, I've heard you can't fend off newborns as well, but this was such short notice." Stefan smirked.

"Oh save it." I snarled. Remember what I said about 'opening line of a fight'? Well… snarling after the opening line is okay to.

"She smells so different…" The newborn laughed barely coherent.

"Another looney, just my luck." I muttered bitterly. I turned to the Romanians and shook my head, "I will not kill this man."

"Excuse me?" Stefan asked evenly.

"Three days ago, he was a human being with a life, family, job, a future." I said coldly, "The fact that you've bitten him upon my arrival does not change this fact in my mind and I see no point in destroying an innocent and rather young soul."

"Did you think this a test of morals?" Vladimir hissed. I straightened up, the air hummed around me, my hands tingling, burning with heat that wished to escape.

"No." I said shortly, "But whatever kind of test it is I will not be taking it."

"Then you will not only never gain access to the archives, you will also die here and now as a human who knows too much." Stefan sighed. "We would be happy to dispose of you ourselves, it would be far less messy, but it is your choice." He smirked.

"I said I wouldn't _kill_ him." I spit, "I'll fight him. And I'll fight you as well. Whatever it takes."

"Fight us?" Vladimir asked.

"You may be 100% immortal, but you're old and I can take half the Guard with one hand." I said, fire glinting in my eyes, my hands were clenched at my sides.

"Well then, Maxwell?" Stefan raised an eyebrow at the newborn.

He nodded. "Easy." He chuckled.

I set my jaw, I usually don't like killing innocent people, but this guy wasn't just asking for it. He was begging. "Bring it." I growled through my teeth.

Connie, who was being restrained by Stefan, attempted to lunge forward to intercept the newborn, but as it turns out, old Steffy is stronger than he looks. With a bitter taste in my mouth, I tracked the newborn as he charged forward.

I rotated my left shoulder towards my right, inhale, I paused and waited until he was within my range. Exhale, I swung my arm around as fast and with as much strength as I could, letting the flames ripple free. The impact was as is expected, jarring, and like thunder, but it had the exact effect I hoped it would. The newborn sailed backwards, crashing through several trees before creating a crater in a large boulder.

This was more strategic than to cause pain. I was still standing tall, and this was specifically to make it look like I had used no strength to knock down the newborn. I sniffed and blew on my arms, theatrically snubbing the flames. The newborn recovered, and lunged straight on again. They never come up with any new tactics, I thought sadly. Sighing, I spun on my left foot and whipped my arm around. Flames roared forward, like an angry dragon, reaching for its prey. It completely engulfed the man, bending at my will, circling around him and twisting rapidly. He was caught in my net, easily, should he want to escape, he would have to walk through the flames.

Vladimir clapped slowly, only a small amount of surprise on his face.

I curled my lip in disgust, did he really think it was necessary for me to kill the stupid kid to gain his trust? Stefan released Connie who rushed over to me.

"You okay?" He demanded, glaring at the Romanians.

"Fine." I said flatly.

"Not dizzy? Tired? Are you feeling weak? Faint? He didn't hit you, did he? You blocked him right?" He rushed through the questions. I raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Do I really seem that human?" I asked smoothly. I turned to Vladimir, "I believe you have some archives to show me."

"I suppose I do."

* * *

"Look at this one!" Connie said excitedly, shoving another old paper in my face.

I was just about ready to scream. I didn't care about all these stupid documents of who everyone was. I only cared about _one of them._

"Still looking?" Vladimir's wispy voice asked impatiently. I growled lowly. "If I knew the name of the vampire you were looking for…"

I sighed in defeat, "Fionna Medachi." I finally relented.

"Ah." He rubbed his hands together then disappeared. Fury ebbed and pulled at me, I didn't know what to do or think. Even if I found my mother's paper, would it have her creators name on it? Would I be able to track him down? I didn't even know what I really wanted. Part of me wanted to kill him, another wanted answers, another… just wanted to have a real dad for once.

**Alice POV-**

"Telephone." I said casually. Carlisle stood up and was by the phone before as it rang.

"Hello?"

_He wouldn't meet anybodies eyes, Carmen's hand on his shoulder though it didn't seem to do him any good._

"I see…" Carlisle muttered.

"_I was hoping you'd understand," Eleazar smiled._

"_Of course."_

"Of course." Carlisle said into the phone. "A change of scenery is good for a young mind."

"_Hi, I'm Esme and this is Carlisle, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie." Esme said sweetly. The boy said nothing, he wouldn't even meet Esme's eyes._

"_Dylan." He said quietly. He was our age, but his face looked ashen, expression distressed. His eyes were an amber color, a middle ground between red and gold._

"No, no, it's not too much trouble. A couple of months to help teach someone isn't that much of a sacrifice at all." Carlisle assured Carmen on the telephone.

Edward was by my side quickly, Jasper in the next second. "Did he seem dangerous?" Edward asked.

"No…" I paused, "He seemed lost." I finished, bringing up the image of his distressed expression.

"Who?" Jasper asked tensely. I hugged him tightly, feeling him relax against me. "Thanks." He muttered.

"No problem." I said, quickly kissing his cheek. "The Denali's have somehow adopted a new kid, and they can't seem to teach him how to be a vegetarian." I said, "So they want him to spend a month or two with us."

"And Carlisle said 'why not' I'm assuming." Jasper said slightly dryly. I frowned at him.

"Be nice." I said and he smiled at me, ruffling my hair.

"You know I always am, as long as no one hurts you." He said sweetly.

"_It doesn't matter." She murmured, her head bowed._

"Alice…" Edward warned me, "Nothing good will come out of watching her future."

"Hush." I snapped.

"She's going to die in a painful and complicated way." He muttered under his breath. I shot him a glare and growled.

"_Oh?" Stefan asked, "and why not?"_

"_Because… well, his name is here, and how to find him is here. So that's not the problem." She whispered, her hand skimming across the paper lightly._

"_Then what is the problem?" Vladimir asked._

"_There's one paper… you shouldn't have." She murmured, "One on _me."

"_Well you're relatively unique situation calls for proper recording." Stefan smirked._

"_No." She hissed, "I can't be recorded! You don't get it! I have to live under the radar, unable to be tracked, no one can know I'm still alive or I won't be soon!" She slammed her fist against the table, the candle next to her roared in response, the flame nearly touching the ceiling._

"_Control yourself child."_

_She grabbed the paper next to her and it was engulfed by an inferno of red flame. "When I leave, you'd better not make another one about me."_

"_Why? Because you'll come back?" Vladimir sniffed condescendingly._

"_No. Because I'll burn this entire place to the ground." She spit._

The vision faded out as snarls echoed off the walls.

"I told you so. Complicated and painful." Edward sighed, rolling his eyes.

"She's not dead yet." I shot back, "She's just fighting with people again…"

"Like she did the Volturi, with that newborn, with the two in London, the Volturi again, oh, and _another newborn_." He said sarcastically, "Face it, that girl is going to pick a fight she can't win one day."

"I don't see that." I countered. "You know what I see? Someone who's trying to find some answers."

"Alice, nothing good can happen to you or her from you watching her future!"

"You don't know that."

**So, Alice is watching, and Rebecca is searching for revenge. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, review?**

**Oh, and thank you so much to all my wonderful reviewers!**

**SAND-N'-SABLE gets the award for most awesome reviewer, I hope I spelled your name right! Thanks for your dedication to my story!**


	9. Chapter 8 Embracing Darkness

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot and the characters Rebecca Medachi (Athena), Connie and Annalise Blitz, as well as Dylan, are mine, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter Eight- Embracing Darkness

**Rebecca POV-**

William Jennings. That was his name. The man who destroyed my mother's life, who killed her, who took her from me, and eventually being the reason I was torn from my father. I could blame him for everything, absolutely everything. It would be justified to. If it hadn't been for him… my mom would be alive and I would be 100% human.

I was going to find him. And kill him… probably. There were only two people on my list. William and Violetta. I couldn't ever forget Violetta, ever.

"Blaze girl?" Connie yelled.

"Sorry, lost in my head." I grumbled, sitting up.

"Not like you." He laughed.

I frowned, "It used to be." I sighed, "I swear I've been so many different versions of me… a little kid, a shy quiet human, a normal teenager, a Volturi, a part-vamp with a grudge…" I snorted at how ridiculous it all was. I change when I need to, when the situation demands it. And lately all the situation has been demanding is cold and swift decisions, survival at any cost and… no emotion. Emotion caused pain, my love for Felix, Jane, Heidi and Alec had caused a hole in my heart. I used to cry at night. Especially after Demitri had nearly caught us. The Cullen girl, Alice, her promise that I would have a good future… I had believed it. I had been expecting things to turn for the better for so long, that the disappointment was depressing. But setting my mind, cutting away emotional ties, seemed to make it easier. Just, well not forgetting, but pushing away, made it easier for me to focus on the future, and not the past.

Sure, the world is cold, the world is dark. People die, horribly, and kill each other every single day. Don't be shocked people die, be surprised you're still alive. Honestly, I had Felix to thank that I was still alive. He taught me how to fight, he saved me when I was for, he taught me how to save myself, how to deal with emotion, and how to be emotionless when I needed to. Jane taught me how to help others, how to be a good friend, how to trust again, when to use my fire and when to save it. Heidi taught me how to love what was good, and Alec taught me how to read people, how to calculate situations and anticipate what was going to happen next.

Demitri taught me never to forgive, to wait and plan. Aro taught me to naturally mistrust. Santiago taught me that silence was a weapon sharper than a sword. Gianna taught me that desire can get you killed.

Carlisle taught me hope, trust, teamwork.

Connie taught me how to laugh again.

Annalise showed me what friendship is, what loyalty means.

Vladimir and Stefan showed me ruthlessness, and how painful the world can be.

I've taught myself perseverance, how to deal, how to cope. Because if I didn't know how to cope, I'd have hung myself a long time ago. But now, all I needed was a purpose. I've taught myself to never, ever, give up. And I won't. A purpose keeps me alive and motivated. It gives me a reason to fight.

But, at night, I still wonder why. Sometimes… I think I need someone. Someone I can talk to, be honest with, tell them about my _whole_ life without them running away screaming. Someone I know would never leave me, and someone I would never want to leave. But when the sun rises, and it all boils down, I know it's just me. Because I can't afford for anyone to be my liability, and no one wants to go where I'm going to have to go.

Connie and Annalise… as much as I don't want to think about it, I'm going to have to tell them sometime. I glanced over at them, they were sitting on the ground, laughing playing cards. We were in a hotel, wasting time while I needed to head to Egypt and track down William. He was last seen there, so that's where I would start. I couldn't have them come with me, because I didn't even know if I would survive. Annalise was never a fighter, she was too delicate, and Connie hadn't been in as many fights as I had by the time I was eight. And with the Volturi following me, it was safer for them. I wouldn't be responsible for their deaths.

Silently, I got up and went to my backpack. Grey cloak? Check. I had four dark pairs of pants, and then the ones I was wearing, one of them was black jeans, the rest were some light material that was incredibly easy to move in. Two short sleeve shirts, one black, one brown, two long sleeves, same colors, one light jacket. Then, thin black gloves (fingerprints= bad) and something like a bandana so I could cover my face in case of sandstorms while I was in Africa, and one of those things to cover your head and protect you from the sun. My bow, and twelve arrows.

I felt a lump rise in my throat as I picked up the tiny London Bridge charm Annalise had given to me, on a bracelet next to a tea cup. I swallowed, but the lump stuck. They were real friends. And anyone close to me was at risk. I knew I was right, but my heart was screaming wrong. I zipped up my backpack and slowly locked up all of my emotions. Grabbing Annalise's silver comb, I brushed my hair out (because I didn't know when I'd be able to do it again) and pulled it into a ponytail, my dark bangs falling in my face. I had cut them a year ago, now they were more like sweeping side bangs. I set it down slowly and turned to the door.

"Why?" Annalise stood in the doorway to the living room.

"I have to do this." I whispered.

"Alone?" Annalise begged, I couldn't look at her.

"I'm sorry." I managed to spit out and brushed by her. As I was about to go out of the room, into the main hallway of the hotel, Connie wrapped his arms around me, and refused to budge an inch.

"Don't leave." He muttered. "_Please."_ He buried his face in my shoulder, "We need you."

"I…" I choked on my words, "I won't be the one to get you killed, you won't be alone… you'll have each other."

"And you? You're alone. With all those goddamn dark memories I know you have." He almost snarled into my ear.

"I just… I thought I knew, what I had to do… but everything is changing… and now" I murmured and faced him, "I'm not sure anymore."

"Bex don't go!" Connie pleaded, "We need you, you help us! For the first time in our lives, we're not just shadows living in alleys, you've given us a purpose and something to _do_ with our lives." He said fiercely.

"There's nothing simple when it comes to me, Connie." I said softly, "And there never will be, I'm… I'm running out of time." I choked back a sob, "When my luck runs out, wherever I am… I can't have you there. I won't let any more people suffer because I exist."

Connie stared back at me for a few moments, "Alright," He croaked, "I… I understand, I just thought you were like family. I thought this would have been forever, and we could just be family forever…" He mumbled, "But I guess even things I think are going to last forever have to end."

"I'm sorry Connie." I whispered, "You would have made a great brother." A tear slid down my cheek, and I whirled around so Connie wouldn't see it. Before any more tears could fall, I was sprinting to the ground floor, and then through the double doors.

My feet ate up the frozen ground beneath me. I was flying, I could cross a Europe in a day like this.

And I did. For all the good it did me…

They say the entire world can be seen from the stars. That if you're staring at the stars, somewhere the ones you love are staring at the same stars. Bull shit, I thought dryly, looking at the black backdrop of the sky, the stars like tiny hole-punches in it.

I had finished slowly crossing Syria, after shooting across Turkey. I was looking for the Egyptian border, but the fact that I must have missed it dawned on me. Night was falling, and the small, low forest was alive with sounds. Being naturally paranoid, my head whipped around at the smallest of sounds. I was jittery, and hungry. Beyond all that, I was thirsty, my throat was dry, each breath felt like inhaling sand. Grumbling profanities, I remembered what Alec said about water being underground. All you have to do is dig. The dirt was soft, and easy to dig at with my bear hands. But it kept falling back in the hole I was making. After a good ten minutes, I was only six inches into the ground.

In frustration and anger, I slammed my fist into the ground near the edge of my hole. Spontaneously, a pillar of dirt and clay shot sky high from my hole, like an explosion. I shrieked and reeled backwards, feeling dirt splatter my arms as they instinctively covered my face. Before I was on my feet, now I skidded along the ground on my back, my stomach twisting unnaturally, and the earth beneath me trembling. The dirt settled.

There was a gurgling noise, babbling like someone was whispering. I slowly lowered my arms and saw clear blue water streaming from a deep hole in the earth. It was miraculous. I crawled over and drank hurriedly. Then, I realized something was wrong. I could fit my entire arm into the pole. I couldn't see the bottom either, like it just kept going. Somehow someone, or _something_ had blown a hole in the earth while I was here. Or maybe, because I was here. Rushing, I grabbed any empty water bottle and filled it with the water, chugged it down, and filled it again. I thrust it into my backpack, grabbed my tweed mat, hastily stuffed the rest of my scattered belongings in my pack and looked around. I saw one pair of eyes.

Slowly, I began backing up, trying to read the eyes. They flashed silver. And I could see the _bloodthirsty aggression_ in them. A cold panic swept over me. What kind of creature has silver eyes? I racked my brain from the history lessons I'd had with Aro. The panic was bad, but when realization hit me, it was far worse.

Children of the moon, werewolves… or, "_Licantropo."_ I whispered in horror. It stepped forward, in its human form, though that was little comfort. He was lanky, oddly tall, limbs awkwardly long. His hair was a silvery grey, deep black circles around his eyes, which sunk into his skull. His knees were bony, and ankles stuck out at an abnormal angle. His skin was an ashy color, and a tiny smirk plastered on his face.

"Una Domandian…" The words slithered from his mouth like a hiss, his sharp canines which didn't fit in his mouth added a snakelike quality to his speech.

"Domanda?" I stuttered. Damned. In Italian 'una' meant one 'domanda' meant damned… he called me 'A Damned One.' He thought I was a vampire. _Bad!_ My mind shrieked, Children of the Moon hate vampires! Natural enemies! "_Non sono più vampiro." _I said hastily in Italian, which he seemed to speak. I am not a vampire.

"Not?" He hissed through his teeth patiently, "Did I say you were?" He questioned me.

"You said 'a damned one'…" I trailed off.

"And you are." His words were silky and slow, as if a snake was literally talking to me.

"But then…" I was confused. If a damned one wasn't a vampire, then what was?

"You are a domandian." He said, the word musical and light on his tongue, "One of the Domandians." He clarified, "Neither _vampiro _nor _umano_." He said as though he were explaining this to a child.

"I…" I tripped over my words. "_Non capisco."_ I don't understand. "I'm... not the only one like me?"

"_Per quanto ne so_." He said blandly, walking bored circles around me. _As far as I know._ "I am almost positive there are others. Though they may not still be alive." He sighed. "So many troubles, they die so young."

My mind reeled. First, I was so incredibly bursting with… with _joy_ that there were others like me. Suspicion and caution soon followed at the short life-span comment. Remembering what I was talking to didn't help either.

"How many?" I asked quickly, "How many others like me?"

"_Come posso saperlo?"_ How should I know? He snorted, "You're the first one I've tracked down in _ages."_ He smiled at me, his long canines making me uncomfortable.

"Tracked…" I slowly processed the word in my head. "As in, _hunted_. You hunted me down!" The pieces fell into place.

The licantropo tilted it's head sideways slightly. "Well… yes. You see, Domandians are incredibly rare." He started, "The last time I found one was several centuries ago, she was feisty to… because all Domandians have incredible power. But you're young, and you won't have tapped into most of that yet." He laughed slowly.

"Stay away from me licantropo." I snarled lowly, tiny flames glowing on my fingertips.

"Oh, any other night. Believe me Domandian, any other night but tonight." He smiled, then wider, and wider, until it became a display of his many long teeth, "Because tonight, observe, the moon is full, and every Child of the Moon knows that there is no better food than the sweet blood of the Domandians."

A snarl of warning ripped from my throat. He tilted his head to one side and chuckled, "Perhaps you are a bit older than I thought _piccolo mio_." 'My little one' he called me, his voice purring, making me shudder. "It is so hard to tell with your kind, all of you age at different rates, pray tell, how old are you?"

"Fifteen." I hissed slowly through my teeth. My sixteenth birthday was soon, but seeing as I might not make it there, it wasn't soon enough.

"Ah. Older then. My last was twelve." He nodded. My stomach knotted? His last? He killed partially mortal children like me for fun and sport? A rush of heat and anger swept through me.

"You. Disgust. Me." I snarled, barely noticing the flames roaring up my arms and jumped all over the leaves of the short shrub like bushes around us in a circle.

"_Fuoco dei dannati."_ The licantropo whispered, his eyes looking around at the fire in panic. "You're a child of the devil!" He screamed angrily, reeling backwards. _"Demonia!"_ He snarled. A howl rang from his mouth, and he convulsed. His back raised, his hands dropped to the ground. Slowly, his spine elongated as I heard sickening tearing noises, the bend in his ankle grew, giving him the legs of a beast and his feet became paws. The front of his face became longer, slowly forming a snout, his pointed white teeth stuck out of his jaw and were coated in a slick shiny saliva. Four paws thudded on the ground, and his silver eyes glinted. "I shall kill you and your devil, then enjoy the reward of your flesh!" The words were rasped from his wolf-throat.

A torrent of emotion held me. The tiniest glimmer of hope that there might be others was being drowned in other feelings. Anger, towards him for hunting whatever it is I was. Frustration because I _still_ didn't know what I was, and he did. Fury, at the fact he had killed kids like me before who were only twelve! And a small amount of fear, I had never fought a Child of The Moon. But I had heard the horrible stories.

He lunged and the torrent of emotions in me did something I never thought emotion could do. I felt a huge, almost painful, swell of heat in my heart, and energy burst from every cell in my body. I had never felt so much power in my life. Wild, deep, twisting orange flames roared around me and the wolf, climbing at least thirty feet in the air, black smoke whirling around the fire like ribbons. I ducked sideways as he blurred by me. I did not turn, but I could _sense_ him land behind me, front paws first. Then he turned, on his 'heels' and I could _feel that he was preparing to spring without seeing him at all_. Once he was in the air, I turned and my flames roared forward from my outstretched hand.

He screamed and landed in front of my, growling furiously through the pain of fresh burns. I staggered backwards in shock. The air was almost humming with energy, I could feel it twisting around me specifically. I was almost perturbed by this sudden increase of power in my gift and as my eyes fell on the wolf, and my heart dropped like a stone.

I had been distracted, and wasn't watching him like I should have been. His outstretched paw was inches from my throat, long needle like claws glinting in the light of the fire. I threw myself sideways, but not nearly quickly enough, because I didn't have enough time to start with.

I felt sharp claws rake into my skin near the bottom of my cheek, and drag down my neck, finally ripping across my shoulder then into open air. A rush of air left my chest in a gasp as I continued to fall sideways. My hand clasped over my neck, almost sliding off my skin which was slick with a hot liquid. I hit the ground, and the world around me exploded.

I don't mean like a bomb, exactly. But it's hard for me to remember, seeing as the wolf had cut through a good chunk of my neck. There was a flash of red light, the fire around me turned crimson and it was _everywhere_. The ground beneath me was shaking, and literally coming apart where I lay. Pieces of earth where in the air and the small trees in the area groaned and fell over. _Earthquake,_ I thought hazily, _I need to move… need to move… move…_

Red clouded my one of my eyes, as a pool of my own plod surrounded me. I felt as though as the blood ran from my body, it sucked my energy out with it. My breath was shallow, and filled with liquid. I could feel myself choking, not getting enough air. It felt as though a dark hand was strangling me, though I could hear the wolf's dying shrieks somewhere far off in the distance. My grip on consciousness was slipping. I felt like I was clinging to a cliff, but it was changing, becoming solid and flat marble. My hands scrambled to find anything to hold onto on the slick surface, but there was nothing. I plummeted into the dark abyss, my final thought a tiny whisper of regret.

I've failed.

**Alice POV-**

"NO!" I shrieked suddenly, jumping off the couch. Jasper stood up instantly, a snarl ripped from his throat and he looked around quickly, scanning the area, glowering out the windows.

"Alice, Alice, what is it?" Esme's panicked voice asked.

"She's dead!" I exclaimed. "She's dead! Oh, _no!_ Damn that wolf! Damn him!" I snarled furiously.

"Who Alice?!" Jasper was losing his mind next to me.

"Rebecca, not someone you know." I murmured, and shot up the stairs. In my mind, the flash of her limply hitting the ground, lying in a pool of her own blood, her bright lavender eyes slowly closing, replayed in my head about twenty times per second. I growled angrily as I dug through a drawer in my room, searching for something.

Carlisle was by my side quickly, "Rebecca as in… Volturi Rebecca?" He asked slowly, sadly.

"She goes by about four different names now." I choked out. "_Damnit._" I threw a small brown book at the wall forcefully. "NO ONE TOLD ME WEREWOLVES WERE REAL!" I shrieked.

"Alice." Jasper's hand was on my shoulder. "Alice, angel, calm down." He muttered, I could hear the worry in his voice, waves of calm washed over me like a rain storm. "Tell me what happened, please?" He asked. "Darlin'?"

I took a deep, steadying breath, "I've been… watching this girl's future." I rubbed my hand through my hair and exhaled, "She was there at Volterra, when we went to save Edward." I muttered, "She's human… I think, but the Volturi raised her and she was conflicted. She wanted a normal life and Felix wanted her to have one to live as a free person. They helped her escape in the airport and I saw her having a normal life, in England and getting married in a decade or so. She then invited us." I smiled slightly, "In the vision, she looked at me and smiled, she said 'You guys showed me that not everyone is heartless. Carlisle and you guys helped me see through what the Volturi had built up, it's because of you I'm here today, so thank you.' And we were good friends from then on…"

"But that didn't happen." Edward sighed.

"No." I murmured, "She ran into two nomads in London, they became her friends, Demitri found them, they ran." I bit my lip, "Then she decided to go out on her own. Which was stupid! If she had just stayed with them, they could have taken that damned Child of The Moon!"

"A real werewolf then…" Carlisle murmured.

I made a strangled noise of acknowledgment. I saw another flash of the vision replay, Rebecca narrowed her eyes at the creature she had called a 'licantropos'. They both began stepping around in a circle. He called her something, a… a… "Domandian." I muttered aloud, confused.

Carlisle made a choking noise, and staggered back. "Where in the Lord's name did you hear that word?" He demanded suddenly, as if the word itself horrified him.

"I… the werewolf said it, he called Rebecca that." I stammered, surprised at his sudden and alarming reaction.

"No, no, no, that's not right, the werewolf must have been mistaken." Carlisle muttered, pacing quickly back and forth.

"Why?"

"Because 'domandians' are monsters, demons even… history records them as some of the cruelest and most powerful immortals to walk the earth." Carlisle breathed.

"But… Rebecca was human-ish." I remembered hearing her heartbeat.

"Only partly, remember that her mother was bitten before Rebecca was born." Carlisle pointed out.

"That doesn't make her a monster!" I snapped, "And it doesn't matter anyway now, seeing as she's _dead."_ I spit, I bit my lip and fought a sudden sadness that was greater than I thought it would be. I would have been her maid of honor, she truly trusted me. And I wasn't able to do anything to prevent her death.

Jasper rubbed my shoulders comfortingly.

_A shriek pierced the cool night. The entire area was burned black, like a scar on the earth._

"I don't understand…" I whispered, confused, "She… died. I saw it."

"Alice, what's going on?"

_Another shriek, Rebecca convulsed in the sand, gasping for air. Tears streaked down her face, one side of it covered with dried blood. She curled inward, another scream passing from her lips. Then, I noticed her eyes. They were lavender, she blinked, and shock hit me like a tsunami, they were crimson red. She blinked again and they went back to lavender._

"She's alive." I murmured. "But there's something wrong with her…"

"What?"

"I don't know… I think she's… turning into one of us... _without being bitten._"

The entire room was quiet. I mean, what I had just said was… _impossible_. Right?

"Um…" Dylan cleared his throat, all of our eyes fell on him, causing him to shift uncomfortably and glower at the ground, "I… I uh, have a theory…" He grumbled under his breath.

I smiled at him. Dylan was a very closed person, according to the Denali's, he always had been. Part of that was because he had watched a vampire slaughter his family ruthlessly in front of him. Somehow, he had managed to escape and hideout during his transformation, until the Denali's found him. It took almost a month for them to get him to talk at all, and it was to Carmen. About the weather. After that, he did start making progress, Carmen told us. He spoke to the family sometimes, and hunted with them rather than alone. But whenever someone brought up his family, or his past, he shut down. And he still did.

Even though it had been twenty years.

Which is why I was so excited to hear him volunteer an idea, "What kind of theory?" I asked kindly. I felt Jasper sending calm encouragement towards Dylan.

"Carlisle said she was a mix, right?" He asked, and I nodded, "Well… what if she's venomous?"

Carlisle gaped, "How could I forget!" He exclaimed, "She told me that she was! But only partially, that the Volturi had found she _was_ venomous, but her venom was much weaker than a normal vampire's."

Dylan nodded, and looked up. This was also a good sign, he hadn't trusted us before. "Well, I figure, if this girl was really badly injured, and she lost a lot of blood… then the balance between her human blood and her venom would be thrown off." He said, glancing between me and Carlisle.

"Go on," I encouraged, and saw the corner of his mouth twitch in a tiny smile.

"So, if there was suddenly a greater percentage of venom in her system, then it's possible it would start reacting with the rest of her blood." He explained, "And the venom would slowly heal her body, but might not change her completely because it's may not be strong enough."

There was silence. Dylan dropped his gaze after a second and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's… uh… just a theory…" He muttered under his breath.

"And it just might be right." Carlisle said, approval thick in his voice. Dylan looked up, surprised.

"Way to go bro!" Emmett smacked Dylan on the back, causing him to take half a step forward. Then, Dylan laughed. I felt like jumping up and down and clapping.

_I think we finally got through to zombie-boy,_ I thought to Edward, who smiled slightly and shook his head. I knew Dylan had never really felt a part of anything, but I got the feeling he belonged here.

**Rebecca POV-**

I couldn't help it, I shrieked again. _Why? Why hadn't I died?_ Why had I been pulled from comfortable sleep to be tortured? My entire body was on _fire_. But it wasn't, and that was the worst part. Because if

I were actually on fire, I would die soon, or I could make it stop. But it wasn't actual fire. It was poison, venom.

Venom.

Some kind of venom was poisoning me. Were Children of The Moon poisonous? But I hadn't been bitten, my mind rationalized. Maybe it's on their teeth _and_ claws, I shot back, trying to muffle another shriek of pain.

_No._ I. Will. Not. Die. Here.

Not now, not like this. I clamped my jaw shut and steadied my breathing. Something told me, somehow I just _knew_ that I could fight this. It wasn't set in stone. I could feel the venom spreading through me, starting at my heart. I could force it back. I had to. I _can_ fight this.

Fight the venom, or whatever it is, fight it damn it! I shouted at myself.

I simply wouldn't let the venom spread, and slowly began forcing it back. But as it became smaller, the pain intensified. I screamed, this was torture! This was worse than being burned at the stake when I was four!

With a deep breath, I forced the venom back, so it was only in my heart, but the burning there was so intense I was slowly losing my mind. I made my final attack, and felt the energy of the venom recede into a pinpoint at my heart, and then vanish.

Dizzily, a drew another breath, and my head spun. The world around my looked foggy, and grey, my vision was clouded.

Exhausted, I glanced up at the empty sky. There was only one tiny fire left burning, and I crawled over next to it. My muscles screamed in protest at any movement I made. The night was cool, the sand I lay on still warm from when the sun baked it. Shaking slightly, shocked by what had just happened, and left with no explanation, I curled up next to the fire. For the first time in a long time, I let a small fear grip me, and a tear slid down my cheek. What was wrong with me? Was I… was I turning into…? I don't know that I could handle that, but not knowing… was far worse. The fire slowly warmed me, and I sighed.

I felt a warm comforting feeling, that I hadn't felt in a very long time. It reminded me of sitting by a fire, next to my father.

_He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me into the air,_

"_Higher, higher Daddy!" I giggled, squirming in his arms._

"_Oh, Becca-boo, come on, you're making me tired."_

"_Please?" I begged._

"_Okay." He sighed, with a smile, "Only because I love you."_

I love you to… Dad.

**Ta-da! Ah, a little bit of a wait for this lil' chappie because I'm getting close to exams, next month, and teachers are slamming on the work. Review? Make my day?**


	10. Chapter 9 Pride

**Sorry for the delay, I've GOT a huge project in Biology due this week. Anywho, thank you to all of my lovely reviewers who put up with my infrequent updates. And, to my find Anna, who read this story, and couldn't believe English was my second language. You're awesome Anna! Well, this chapter was... difficult to write, mostly because every time I sat down to work I was uber-happy, and the mood for this chapter isn't quiet that. But it DOES get better. Remember, the themes to this story are… in a away, angst, hurt, healing and comfort, though the two last themes come later. Maybe even, dare I say it (oh, I dare) LOVE!!! Mw-ha-ha, I'm gonna make you wait to find out on that one. So, without further delay…**

**TO THE DISCLAMER!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot and the characters Rebecca Medachi (Athena), Connie and Annalise Blitz, as well as Dylan, are mine, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 9- Pride

**Rebecca POV-**

I woke up sometime in the middle of the morning, my watch had been smashed against a rock, and was no longer readable. I rolled over and instantly regretted it, because with each nerve that fired, I was in pain.

Slowly, I got to my feet and doused my small fire with a quick wave of my arm. I yawned and stretched slowly, feeling my back crack all the way down my spine. It felt good to loosen up my stiff, battered body. I sat down by my small puddle of water, and splashed water on my face.

I paused, seeing dark red drip off my hands. I looked down into the puddle and saw the left side of my face covered in dry blood. I saw my trembling hand touch it tentatively. As the water dripped down my cheek, creating tiny rivers in the darkness smeared on my face, it flowed off my chin into my puddle I had stumbled upon last night. Slowly, as if in a trance, I rubbed water gently onto my cheek, and my neck, then shoulder. My shirt was soaked in blood. It was beyond saving, I could not travel in a shirt that smelled so strongly of blood. I was distressed before I even got a good look at the damage.

I whipped off the long sleeve over-shirt, so I had just my tiny, thin, _Nike_ _Sport_ tank top. My entire neckline and shoulder was exposed. A kind of pain that had nothing to do with my injuries shot through me. My entire left side looked like it had been sliced open. Living with vampires my entire life, I had grown up with this idea of perfection and beauty.

With a simple look into still water, the small comfort of my looks that had been so highly praised, was shattered into a million pieces. Beyond repair, just like me. Before, I had at least looked normal, not like the monstrous Volturi fighter I was. Now the ugly battles I had lived through had finally marked me. My normalcy had been sliced and cut through as quickly as the werewolf had cut through me. I would never have a normal appearance again. Anyone who wasn't human would know, the way the scars glinted… they were much too clean and unnatural.

I couldn't look any longer. I tore my eyes away from the water as a tear slid down my cheek. I had always been able to shrug off the fact that I was different. Ignore the looks from both vampires and humans as I walked by, the condescending sniffs from the immortals, and the stares from mortals. I never cared that no one really… _understood…_ what it was like… to have your childhood go up in smoke, and be condemned to die on your sixteenth birthday when you were only four.

I'd been able to ignore all of this. I didn't mind being 100% different, because I looked 80% normal. But not anymore, now it wasn't just others who saw me and thought 'freak'… it was _me as well_.

I choked on another sob. I wanted so desperately to see my father, or Felix, or Heidi, Jane, or Alec. I missed the comfort of Connie and Annalise. Remembering what I had last said to Connie brought hysterical tears to my eyes.

"_You would have made a great brother."_

My heart ached, like someone was tearing it in half. I knew exactly what I had done. I had let two people touch my heart, become my friends. And I ended up hurting because of it. Because I couldn't stay in one place to long, and I always had to leave whatever I gained. Regret, remorse, sadness… I lay on the ground and cried like a child.

And I felt like a child, a child that had been locked away and hidden while I was forced to live as an adult for the last eleven years. For the first time in those long eleven years, I simply lay on the ground until nightfall and cried, for all I had lost, for all my father had lost, for leaving Connie and Annalise, and for missing my family back at the Volturi. And when the cool night set in, I rolled onto my side and let my eyes slowly drift closed, feeling to weak and exhausted to do anything but nothing.

"… _would've made a great brother…"_

Yes, he would have made the perfect brother. Looking back, I wish I had let him be my brother, and not walk away from those who considered me family.

* * *

**Alice POV-**

I was _almost_ surprised, as I sat in the grass of the baseball field, watching my family members spar with each other, preparing for a newborn army. Actually, now it was only two. My Jasper, handsome and helpful as he is, had lea the whole lesson.

Oh, back to the surprised part.

I convinced Dylan to fight Jasper… eh-hem _recap!_

"_Please?" I pouted at Dylan._

"_Nope." He sighed._

"_Pretty please?"_

_He made a face, "How exactly do you make 'please' pretty?" I smacked him on the arm, "Hey!" He complained._

"_Come on, it'll be good for you!" I insisted._

"_How is getting my ass kicked good for me?!" He blurted out, shock on his face. I heard Jasper chuckling behind me and hug me against him._

"_Don't force him to do something he doesn't want to Alice." He chuckled, kissing my cheek._

"_You aren't seriously going to let him take on a newborn without seeing whether or not he can even fight first, right?" I asked skeptically._

_Jasper was silent for a moment, "So… you haven't seen… how it turns out?" He asked._

_I growled quietly, "I can't see around the dogs!" I stamped my foot._

"_I'll fight Dylan!" Emmett offered, punching Dylan's shoulder._

"_No you won't!" Rosalie corrected him, "That is a _new_ shirt Emmett."_

"_But Jasp-" Emmett started to complain,_

"_Is wearing an old tee shirt." Rosalie cut him off. Dylan snickered quietly somewhere behind me._

"_Please?" I mouthed at Dylan, he blinked. Hah! Got him._

"_Um… okay, why not? I mean, I've got some time… so why not get squished like a bug." Dylan sighed, glancing at Jasper. "Just don't kill me." He said seriously. Jasper grinned._

Okay, so back to the whole, 'surprised' thing.

Dylan didn't get his ass kicked in the first five seconds. He actually dodged Jaspers first attack and knocked him backwards. Dylan made a counter attack, which Jasper blocked, and that was the end of the neat-easy to track fighting. Because right now, Dylan and Jasper were two blurs, zipping around the field, slamming into each other and wrestling in mud. It wasn't because they were equal fighters, it was because Dylan didn't fight like Jasper. Actually… he didn't fight like any vampire I've met before. He focused on finding points on the body he could twist or contort to make his opponent stop moving. Jasper… well, Jasper focused on getting his opponent under his control the fastest way possible.

See how it's slightly surprising?

_Whack!_

"Ow…" Dylan groaned from the other side of the field. "Ouch, okay… you win… I'm done…"

Jasper stood up and took a deep breath, unwinding and calming down. Then he smiled and offered Dylan a hand getting up, "Sorry about that." He said cheerfully.

Dylan shook the dirt out of his hair like a dog and took Jasper's hand, "It's okay," Dylan said, "I guess I was kind of asking for that."

A smirk flickered across Jasper's face, "In a way," He admitted, "but I wasn't expecting you to hold me off that long, that was a hell of a fight." Jasper punched Dylan's shoulders.

Dylan shoved him back and then sprinted off towards us, Jasper growled slightly and shot towards us as well. When the two got back to us, Emmett grabbed Dylan and put him in a headlock. "AY!" He yelled, "How come you never told us you can rumble like that, bro?" He asked.

I _think_ Dylan was trying to say something, but Emmett would have been choking him if he were human.

"Emmett, let him go." Esme chided.

I stared at Dylan, who was laughing and good-naturedly horsing around with his brothers. Only two months ago, he wouldn't meet Carlisle's eyes, he was terrified of Jasper and he almost never talked. He saw me staring after a while, and I already had a question to ask.

"You never told us about your human life… I mean, before." I said slowly.

Dylan paused, and for a second I thought he was going to shut down again, close us out. Instead he looked me in the eye and said, "My parents sent me to military high school after I got into a few too many fights." He said evenly, with a small mischievous glint in his eyes. For a moment the entire family was quiet. Carlisle put a hand on Dylan's shoulder and smiled at him. Dylan smiled to.

He had a rough childhood, and a terrible end to his humanity. And then a rocky start, not talking to anyone, and not knowing how to cope. But I think Dylan fit in here. We didn't see as someone who was broken and needed healing, I just saw him as someone who deserved a second chance.

I'm proud to call him my brother.

* * *

**Rebecca POV-**

Pride.

Pride is a natural thing for all living creatures, because without pride how can we have self respect? But it can also be misguided, fragile, and ill-invested.

I sniffed and took one slow, steadying breath.

Once, there was a wise man from a small village, who left his home and traveled to Florence. There, he found that everyone was beautiful on the outside, but terrible on the inside. No one was kind to him, no one even spoke to the wise man who had been so highly respected in his village. What he saw in Florence made him sad, and disappointed. He decided to leave the city immediately, and would have to tell the villagers that people in the city have no heart even for their own kind.

As he was leaving, he noticed a small child huddled into the corner of a dirty street. She was homeless, parentless, jobless and hungry. The wise old man walked over to her, and she shied away from her. He asked her why she hid, and she said that people didn't want to see ugly things.

The old man knew that he had found someone truly beautiful, on the _inside._ He told the girl not to hide, to be happy with who she was, and to let light shine on her and others. He adopted her, and brought her back to the village. The people there saw past her dirty looks and saw that she was a truly kind person. She grew up to beautiful on the inside and outside. When she grew up into an adult, she returned to Florence, a gorgeous young woman with all she had ever dreamed of, and her kind heart still intact. She paid no attention to the superficial city people who tried to flirt with her, but spent her days helping orphans and the homeless.

She told people of the city later, to give up on their pride and let the true light of who they were shine through the fake exterior.

She died many years later, surrounded by people she loved and who loved her back. Although she died in Florence, she was buried back in the village, next to the kind, wise man who had adopted her.

I was done crying, feeling stupidly sorry for myself. I couldn't, _wouldn't_, let material things change my life and sway my determination. Violetta, William, they were still out there, and I was going to find them both.

I packed up my stuff, throwing my water bottle in my backpack and strapped my tweed mat to my backpack. Pulling out a bottle of rubbing alcohol from my emergency med bag, which I thanked god I brought, I drenched bandages in the alcohol. Wincing, I pressed them all over the gashes, and used medical tape to secure them. Sure, I was over my breakdown, but that didn't mean I wanted the cuts to get infected.

It stung. It stung like hell, but that's okay I guess, because the pain was keeping me attached to the ground right now. It was reminding me of what I was still living for.

Which, honestly, wasn't much.

I gritted my teeth, resenting my own thoughts and shot out across the low brush, willing anything to challenge me now. Realistically, I knew I wouldn't always be able to go on like this. That I'd eventually loose myself and come to nothing, but if that was the price for finding who killed my mother… I can't object to paying it.

In hindsight, I did learn something from this situation, I carried my bow in my hand instead of leaving packed at the bottom of my backpack. It didn't slow my stride at all. My run was natural, constant and easy for me. It was like a smooth glide, each step reaching forward. I could feel my muscles extend and coil with every stride. Sometimes, when I relaxed into my run, it felt slow. But as soon as I looked to the side, seeing the landscape blur by me at an insane speed… I knew I was _fast_. Not that I couldn't enjoy what I was running by, because I could tell you exactly how many leaves were on the bush I just past (zero, it's dead) and I have my eyesight to thank for that.

I knew I was getting close… to ehm… where was I going again? I paused. William Jennings, William, I repeated in my head, last seen in southern Egypt with the local coven there. _Ah… shit_, I thought. I hadn't exactly made a plan, I had just gone charging off into Africa. Right, walk up to the Egyptians and ask them if they'd seen a random nomad, who _by the way_, shared genetic material with me in a weird and complicated way. I had a feeling that would go over great. Snap-second plan: follow their scents, find 'em, say hi, don't get killed, ask questions, leave. And maybe some ass kicking in there if needed… but not unless I had to.

I stopped on the top of a sand dune, I looked around. To my left were… more sand dunes, and to my right, behind _and _in front of me. The wind had swept away my tracks. _Shit!_ I glowered into the horizon, letting my eyes slowly focus on the land as far away as possible. I saw something moving, and a dust cloud… maybe a caravan, and tore off in that direction.

There was a rundown building made of large stones at the bottom of one dune. I was thrilled to find any sign of civilization and started checking for supplies. Then I heard it, a low rumbling and hissing noise like an animal. Whipping around, I realized my mistake. The dust cloud in the distance hadn't been a dust cloud, it was a sandstorm. It covered the entire horizon and the sky around me started darkening as the sun winked out. Cursing loudly, I tore my backpack open and got my black jacket (sand-proof) and bandana. I dumped water all over the bandana, so that when I breathed through it in the storm, it would be harder for sand to get through. Finally, I pulled out a pair of sunglasses, because having sand get in your eyes is bad. Having sand _pelted_ into your eyes by Gail-force winds is much, much worse. I'd done enough research to know that if you didn't die breathing sand in a sand storm, or get blinded, or choke to death, you could get buried alive. Sand storms moved _fast_, trying to outrun it would do no good, I'd have to run all the way back to Syria, were the werewolves were.

I took a long gulp of my dwindling water supply before tying my soaking bandana around my face. The first grains of sand pelted the wall, which I crawled over to and stood up against, knowing I would be least likely to be buried on the non-exposed side of the wall taking the storm front-on. Within the minute, sand swirled all around me, and it was like being inside a tornado. The wind was harsh, pelting everything with hailing sand as if each grain were a glass needle.

With a tiny swishing sound, a dark blur ran towards my shelter. "Merda, merda, _merda, vai via!_" I cursed under my breath, willing the creature to turn around and go away. Which, of course, didn't work. Behind me, the wall cracked slightly and pitched me forward. I threw my arms out in front of me as I hit the ground, the sunglasses slipped into the sand, and there was no way to find them in the angrily swirling sand. Sand begun stinging my eyes and I was forces to squint, blinking rapidly. As I struggled to my feet, I looked up to see a pair of glowing red eyes sparkling like rubies mere inches from my face. _Vampiro!_ I snapped up to my feet faster than I would have thought I could and slammed my fist into the boy's perfect nose. He smacked into the far side of the shelter and I snarled at him.

"Relax," He murmured, holding his hands up, "relax, relax child." He cautiously took a step forward, "Now, this shelter is big enough for two isn't it?" He said.

I relented, with a glower, and stepped to the side so we could both stand on the same side of the wall. He kept on glancing at me, then it sunk in, he was one of the Egyptians. I looked over at him and he met my eyes. This was him! This boy could help me find William! I wanted to break out into a happy-dance right then and there. The winds began to die down, the sand storm slowly passing us by.

I peeled myself off the wall and started brushing the sand off my body.

The boy held his hand out in front of me, "Benjamin, very pleased to meet you." He said smoothly, smiling and exposing his milky white teeth. His skin was a dark olive color, and he had short black hair. He was taller than I, but not by a significant amount, I had grown almost half a foot in the last year.

Name, I thought, I need to come up with a name. I couldn't use my real name, seeing as I was wanted like a criminal in the immortal world. I'd already used Rebecca, Bex, Athena and Becca. I needed something new. The thought process behind a fake name is simple, something easy to remember that has to do with your life.

"Demadora." I said, twisting the Italian word _'domadora'_ so it would sound like a name, "People call me Demi."

He chuckled, "Well Demi, you certainly are the most interesting mortal I've ever met." He smirked.

A snarl ripped from my throat, "I. Am. Not. Just. Some. Mortal." I hissed furiously. His eyes locked on mine, and his expression was suddenly very serious.

"I suppose you aren't." He muttered, "What brings you to my coven's territory?"

"I was hoping you would know where a man named William Jennings could be found."

His face cleared of all emotion, "You shouldn't be looking for him."

"Should you know why I am searching for him, your opinion might be very different." I said coldly.

Benjamin sighed and rubbed his forehead, "I suppose… everyone has certain motives…" He stopped part way into his sentence, the last syllable he spoke was drawn out into a furious hiss. "Child of the Moon, it has been following you." He glanced at me, as the scent fell on my nose.

"Hell and damnation, of all the luck!" I cursed, almost making Ben jump. The wolf stood not too far away and was staring me down.

"You shall pay for the death of my brother." He snarled at me.

"And who's gonna pay for your death?" I sneered at him. This was a rematch, and I _wanted_ this. I needed to get my honor back, needed to get back on my feet.

"What are you doing?!" Ben asked, panic thickly coating his voice.

"Redeeming myself." I snapped, "Stay back." I turned and shot a massive wave of flame toward the werewolf.

"Oh… my god." Ben muttered, "I never thought I'd see the day…"

My bow was in my hand, I pulled an arrow from my quiver and in only the blink of an eye I had gone from unarmed, to having the string pulled all the way back, sharp tip off the arrow staring the werewolf down. The wolf growled,

"Oh yeah?" I sneered, "When you see your brother, you can tell him this is for screwing up my face."

Expertly, with the skill of a life-ling archer, I inhaled as I stretched the bow even more, near it's breaking point, for maximum force. My eyesight was level with the tip of the arrow, my stance slightly widened and balanced. The wolf, though it seemed in slow motion, moved to take a step to the side. But I was too fast, and with one last minute adjustment, my fingers released the arrow. With the arrow, a burst of explosive energy left my body. My bow was still raised as I saw the flames leap after the arrow, twist and snake around it, then, finally, mere centimeters before it hit its target, the tip of the arrow erupted in flame.

I watched my shot, as it arched through the air, then hit its target perfectly. The arrow hit the wolf right between its ugly, beady eyes and the disgusting monster collapsed in a sudden rage of fire. I exhaled. My bow slowly lowered at my side and I allowed myself to blink.

Benjamin stared at me. "That was amazing!" He burst out, it wasn't quiet the reaction I was expecting.

"You think so?" I asked skeptically, "Because it's pretty basic… just a release of energy channeled through a medium (my bow) and released once it's no longer attached to me." I shrugged, "Pretty basic, because other than that it's just archery."

"It took me a very, _very_ long time just to be able to control fire." Ben muttered, I gawked at him, "It was the hardest for me to master."

"The hardest out of… what?" I asked slowly.

Now Ben looked at me uneasily, "The four… elements, you know? Control over water was the easiest… air was pretty effortless, earth was resistant, but fire… was… aggressive and opposed me." He explained.

"I can only… control fire." I stated slowly, then I gasped, "It was _you!_ You made the water come up back in Syria!"

Ben smiled slyly, "I couldn't understand why you couldn't control the water." He admitted, "I assumed that you could manipulate all four, not just fire."

"Eh, you're wrong." I shrugged.

Ben frowned, "You seemed… pretty comfortable attacking that werewolf." He said.

"Yep. Got a complicated story and two rules." I shrugged, putting on a slightly different persona, a little more open, a little more comfortable with sharing, but I wasn't letting my guard down.

"What are they?"

"Number one, don't lose."

"And the second?"

"Not to forget the first." I said simply, but I couldn't… place who had said these two rules… I knew they were famous… but couldn't remember…

"-simply amazing, you really should meet the rest of my coven!" Ben was saying eagerly.

"How many?" I asked quickly.

"Three others, Amun and his mate Kebi, and my mate Tia." He said. I didn't exactly have much of a choice, after all… this could be my only way to find my father.

**A little more progress! Yay! Review?**


	11. Chapter 10 Lost Words

**DEAR READERS, IMPORTANT!!! I made a HUGE MISTAKE in my last chapter. I forgot to mention that REBECCA IS NOT A FULL-VAMP, she DID NOT fully change! Because it was her venom in her system, she managed to fight it off, so she is STILL A HYBRID… thing. So, yeah. Sorry! To the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot and the characters Rebecca Medachi (Athena), Connie and Annalise Blitz, William Jennings, as well as Dylan, are mine, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 10- Lost Words

**Rebecca (Demi) POV-**

"Benjamin!" A warm voice called as we neared something which I could roughly call civilization. The ground was dry dirt, but at least it wasn't sand, there were a few trees, a water pump that was old and rusty. I think we were on the edge of a village. Ben had lead the way here, not that I trusted him enough to be calm on the way, I was jumpier than I turkey on Thanksgiving.

A beautiful woman, about the age of Benjamin (probably around 25) waltzed happily up to Ben and hugged him. She _emanated_ sweet, sugary happiness and love. I shuddered before I could stop the reaction. Never have I been one for such open displays of warm and fuzzy emotion.

"Ben, who's this?" The girl asked, assuming she was his mate, this was Tia. She was perfect, like every other immortal, her skin a delicately tinted color that reminded me of chocolate, she had long, sleek black hair that hung far below her shoulders in a perfect braid. Her eyes glinted a dark red, mixing between dull crimson and black. She was in between hunting trips. I wasn't sure if this put me more at ease, that she hadn't just killed, or unnerved me, because she might be thirsty.

"This is a traveler whom I ran into in a sandstorm earlier today." Ben said sweetly to his mate, glancing at me.

"Ah!" Tia gasped, "That storm blew through here earlier, but not so strong I think." She said happily, then glanced at me. I knew enough to recognize the spark of worry in her eyes when they fell on my again. She leaned towards Ben and began speaking rapidly, her voice high in pitch, words quickly blending together. I felt my left ear twitch under the veil of my dark hair, I was listening.

… _dangerous to bring her here, is she different? She seems human, you know Amun won't like that, remember when Kebi brought her catch back home? Amun was mad for days! And you hunted yesterday, Ben, please think before you act! I love you, but you can be utterly foolish._

A small growl bubbled from my chest, my upper lip curled over my teeth in a sneer, "Catch?" I hissed. I understood a vampires need to hunt, I was most likely the most _understanding_ human of _that_ alive. However, to use words so demeaning as referring to the poor souls as a 'catch' was utterly infuriating.

Tia's eyes snapped up to mine, "H-how?" She stammered.

While I bristled and growled in my anger, Ben explained what he knew. After he finished what he knew, I glowered at Tia, "I am not a human, and I do not want to be treated like an _object_." I snapped shortly.

"Oh…" Ben cleared his throat, "and Demi can uh… control… fire." He said slowly.

Tia blinked and looked at me carefully, "Just like you, huh?"

I smirked, and blew on my knuckles, theatrically blowing a small flame off my hand, "Not exactly… Tia, right?" I had to play this smooth, keep my head, make sure they didn't know everything about me. I had to make them think I was a lot more powerful than I actually was, because I couldn't take his whole coven.

"Yes, my name is Tia, Ben tells me yours is Demadora." Tia said kindly.

"I prefer Demi." I said quickly.

"My name was long to, I don't know what my parents were thinking… it was ridiculous." She smiled at me. I forced a smile back. I didn't like to think about my parents… my mom was a monster and my dad… I hadn't seen in eleven years.

"Yeah," I sighed, "But you gotta love your folks anyway." I forced out. Tia laughed quietly,

"You really should meet Amun and Kebi." She said, "I think you would like them."

I'm so sure.

**Alice POV-**

"_DYLAN!"_ I shouted, seeing him thrown to the ground from behind. Dylan whirled and grabbed the newborn, slamming him to the ground. My attacker snarled at me, I grimaced. Jasper had already destroyed four of them, two being newborns who attacked _me._

Almost all of them were dealt with, though it saddened me to have to kill them. They could have had a better life. I finished off the newborn in front of me. Next to me, Dylan had the newborn pinned.

"Come on Dylan, finish it," I said sadly, "Everyone else is gathered and waiting for _them._" Dylan nodded sadly.

"Wait!" It's tiny voice squeaked. Dylan hesitated, watching the newborn carefully, "Please don't kill me, please, I didn't want this, I just… he told us it would be easy… and I didn't have a choice… please!" They begged. Dylan's eyes softened. He couldn't be the cruel vampire who killed innocent people, as his creator was to his family.

His grip on the newborn loosened. I gasped as my vision hit me, and then immediately became reality. The newborn snapped to his feet and slammed into Dylan. Smacking into the ground, Dylan's eyes widened as the newborn pinned him. "No!" I shrieked and threw myself at him. If I had been a split second closer, Dylan would be dead. As I collided with the newborn, I could feel how his head tilted as his teeth tore through Dylan.

Dylan rolled to his feet as I jumped out of the way of the boy's attack. He was older than the other newborns, more experienced. Jasper was at my side,

"Alice, we have to get back." He said urgently.

"I know." I murmured, the Volturi were nearly here.

"I'm working on it." Dylan snarled, wrestling with the newborn. The newborn turned, looking at us quickly, then bolted.

"Catch him, quick!" I shouted, he was headed right for our meeting place, _Bella was there._

With a snarl, Dylan shot after the newborn, Jasper and I behind him. The newborn was fast, scary fast, and neither Jasper nor I could keep up, but Dylan had always been faster than us. He was as fast as Edward. I could smell the Volturi now, hear them as well. We were cutting it close! They were already speaking with Carlisle, if the newborn made it to the gathering… Bella would surely die.

Up ahead, light burst through the trees, no, _no, NO!_ Too late, we were too late! Panicking, I shouted at Dylan, who already knew how close the newborn was. He cursed under his breath, Jasper was right behind him, and the two of them slammed into the newborn at the edge of the trees.

Together, the three slid into the dirt, and to the edge of the clearing. Jasper was to his feet, and placed himself between Bella and the newborn in a split second. The newborn reeled, confused and thirsty. Dylan was behind him. I saw Edward put his hand around Bella's shoulder and cover her eyes. The newborn was dead at my brother's hands in less than a second. The fire in front of us roared higher. Dylan's hand twitched, and he shook his head, heaving a long sigh, "Shame." He finally muttered sadly.

"Ah, and now that the gang is all here." A tiny voice from behind us said impatiently. I turned around and saw Jane, sneering bitterly right at us. Dylan glanced at her once, then leaned closer to Jasper,

"Er… who is she?" Dylan muttered to Jasper. Jasper's eyes lit up with amusement as Jane undoubtedly seethed next to us.

"Jane, next to her is Felix, Volturi." Jasper muttered back. Emmett was holding backing laughs, shaking in place slightly.

"Oh." Dylan said, with his best 'oops' face. Jane looked absolutely furious, like she was about ready to kill Dylan.

"And who are _you!?"_Jane demanded shortly, "I wasn't aware the Cullens created a new vampire as well! I'm sure Aro will be very happy to hear this!" She seethed.

"His name is Dylan and we did not create him," Carlisle said evenly, "there is no need for unnecessary anger, he simply needed assistance with his handle on our unique diet, and we have decided it is best if he stayed with us."

"And you explained _everything_ to him?" Jane demanded, "The rules? The consequences, and _everything else?"_ She was obviously angry that Dylan had absolutely no idea who she was.

"Well, I think so." Dylan said seriously, I could already tell he didn't like Jane. Neither did anyone else, but he didn't know what Jane could _do._

Felix clapped his hands loudly and rubbed them together, "Alright, so, newborns taken care of, out of professional curiosity…" He eyed the fire crackling in front of him, "how many were there?"

"Twenty, or there about, we didn't exactly count." Carlisle said. Jasper sniffed behind me, he and Emmett had made a bet… and seeing as Jasper fought at least five, I think he won.

Felix nodded slowly, "Let's go Felix," Jane said stiffly, "I want to go home."

Felix turned, but shot me one look, and I understood, "She's alive, in Egypt at the moment, but fine." I said quickly. His entire demeanor changed, for a moment he practically radiated happiness. Jasper relaxed next to me and looked like he was going to fall over for a second from sudden happy-emotion-makes-muscles-jello-effect. But, the moment was gone in a flash and Felix nodded shortly.

Dylan rolled his eyes, "Is it just me, or is everyone you guys know crazy?" He muttered under his breath. Jane practically materialized in front of him, making him jump and nearly fall over.

"I'm not crazy, you disrespectful, ignorant _child._" She hissed at him, and then slowly smiled. We all knew what was coming, except for Dylan. With a sudden yelp, he crumpled to the ground.

"Dylan!" More than one of us shouted, I snarled at Jane. Emmett tried to lunge at her but Edward grabbed him, holding him back. Dylan shrieked loudly, and shouted several profanities that I have never heard in a normal conversation before.

"Jane!" Felix gripped her shoulder, "_Jane!"_ He tugged on her shoulder but Jane wouldn't budge. Growls rang out from every angle of our circle. Esme was next to Dylan, one hand on his shoulder, desperately attempting to calm him, with Jasper's help. My brother's eyes were wild with pain, I wanted to tear Jane apart. How _dare_ she harm my brother like this?! She has no reason!

"She's taking out all her anger on him, and there is a _lot_ of it." Edward hissed, his voice colored with anger that I usually only heard when Bella was in danger.

"Jane let it go, he's not Bex, let him be!" Felix hissed, pulling on Jane's arm, "_Damnit Jane_, stop!" He wrenched Jane around, and the connection was broken. I glowered at Jane, a furious snarl rising from my throat. Behind me, I heard Dylan gasp for breath. Felix, alarmed and startled, didn't know what to do. He turned to Jane and growled, "It wasn't her fault anyway! She just wanted her own life, and your pent up feelings about it have no place anywhere but _in the past._" He seethed.

"She left us, abandoned us, she was always _his_ favorite and she threw it away like it was trash!" Jane growled.

"Just, just… _just go_ Jane, before you make another stupid choice. I'll catch up after I'm done cleaning up your mess." Felix snapped. He might as well have slapped her, in all my years, and all the stories I've heard, the Volturi _never_ fight amongst themselves. Rebecca must have really rocked the boat.

"I apologize for Jane's unnecessary and uncalled for actions," Felix said tiredly, he glanced at my brother, who was still gulping down air and trembling. "Are you okay?" He asked slowly. Dylan's eyes rolled over to look at Felix. He stiffened and sat up slowly.

"Been better." He grumbled.

Felix paused, debating what to do next. In my opinion, he was the most human of the Volturi, and maybe he didn't really belong with them. "Are you sure all of the newborns were killed?" He finally asked.

"Positive," Carlisle said firmly, "we split up and took care of both groups."

"Impressive." Felix muttered, "Ahm… well, er… Bella, you're still human." He said as his eyes fell on her, "Aro will find out. I can't avoid that, you would do well to take care of this problem before he decides to act."

"The date has been set." Edward said coldly as Bella cringed into him, away from Felix's gaze.

"_Molto bene."_ Felix nodded, he and Edward exchanged a few rapid words of Italian. Edward cocked his head to one side, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Ask my sister." He said after a pause.

Felix glanced at me, he had explained to Edward the reason for Jane's anger after Edward had pointed out that she was usually calmer. Jane felt betrayed by Bex and couldn't stand to be around humans, younger vampires, or anyone with dark hair and clothing.

"Jane will forgive you, she won't do anything rash." I said confidently before he even asked me. He nodded once, and turned, running after Jane.

After about five seconds I let out a big breath I had been holding in. "They're not coming back." I said, and I was sure of it.

"I'm going to get Bella back home." Edward said quickly.

"'m not 'red…" Bella managed to speak with slurred words. My brother chuckled slightly and picked Bella up, turned and ran back towards her house.

Back at the house, things finally moved into their normal pattern, stress free. I sat down next to Jasper on the couch and lay happily in his lap. He smiled.

Jasper hugged me tightly against him, kissing my cheek. I kissed him lightly on his lips.

After a few minutes of doing nothing, I looked around the room. Dylan wasn't here, frowning I stood up and went to his room. I knocked but there was no response, so I pushed to door open. I could tell something was wrong. He was hugging his knees, chin propped up on them, eyes staring straight ahead.

"Dylan?" I asked softly, trying to meet his eyes. He shuddered slightly and clenched his hands at his sides. "Dylan? Are you okay?"

"Fine." He said shortly, forcing the word from his clenched teeth.

"You know that you can't lie about how you're feeling, right?" Jasper joked lightly.

"Come on man, we're family, you can tell us anything." Emmett added.

"Just brought up some memories." Dylan grimaced and got to his feet, "And I _don't_ want to talk about it." He snapped at Emmett when he opened his mouth to talk. I hugged him carefully when he tried to walk away. I didn't want Dylan to be sad, when he got to Forks he was so quiet and closed off. I didn't want him to go back to being like that. "Alice," He sighed, "it happened a long, long, time ago. I'm over it." He dashed up the stairs to his room, and attempted to slam the door behind him. I followed and found him sitting on the couch, leaning against the wall. I hugged him gently.

"Then why won't you talk about it?" I questioned him.

"Because…" He trailed off, "I don't want to." He said in a smaller voice. He pulled my arms away from him and faced me, "It isn't exactly happy."

"Dude, it doesn't matter what happened." Emmett said, "You're still my brother."

"It might be better just to talk about it." Jasper added. Dylan sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Uh… well, I guess it can't hurt." He muttered, "My family and I… we were broke." He began, squinting at nothing in particular, dragging up the past, "But it never bothered my parents until my dad lost his job. Then he started drinking a lot… I was eight. I came home from school and he was screaming at my mom, saying if she didn't have a kid, then they would have more money. My mom was trying to say something, I don't know what, but he hit her." He said sadly, "I ran into the kitchen and stood between him and my mom, yelling at him and getting so angry. We stood there yelling at each other for a long time." He muttered regretfully. "I couldn't do anything to stop him, and he was disgusted with me. He said I was worthless, that I'd never grow up to be anything, that I was spineless. He blamed my mother for my flaws, and then me for when my mom got hurt, after he hit her."

Sadness pulled at me, I didn't remember being human, but I could somehow relate to Dylan. Being lost, he looked like a kid, like he was eight again. He pressed his lips together in a tight line. "When I was twelve, I couldn't bear it anymore. I got in between my mom and my dad and I punched him, and my dad…" He didn't finish his sentence, "I woke up in the hospital." He said shortly, "They told me that my neighbor had found me, and that my mom had fallen down the stairs. She was dead. My dad was gone, I knew he killed her, but I never said anything."

Rosalie growled quietly next to me. Dylan glowered at the ground, "I went to an adoption home. I made a lot of stupid decisions, got into fights, started pick-pocketing people on the streets and used the money to buy cigars for the older kids. Then these two artists came to the home one day, and they kept on asking about me. The people who ran the place told them I was a troublemaker, a no-good delinquent. But they wanted me anyways." He sighed, "They were good people to, really nice, didn't have much, but it didn't matter. Stuff was really starting to turn around, until they sent me back to school when I was fourteen. I never really fit in, an adopted kid with a temper and a record. I got into fights, and after one kid got a broken nose, I was expelled. My adoptive parents didn't know what to do, they were so disappointed." His voice broke a little, he was ashamed, "So they sent me off to a military school to try to straighten me out. I stayed at the school all year round because whenever I came home, I just got into more trouble with the local kids. When I was a junior, Tracy… my uh, adoptive mom, thought I should come home to visit and take a driving class so I could get my license. It was June. I failed the course, twice. So, I got my stuff packed up and ready to go back to school." He paused, for a long time.

"Before I got a chance to leave, somebody broke in the front door, and before I knew what was happening, two people with red eyes were holding my parents." He choked out, "And I guess you can figure out the rest." He bowed his head, "I spent a year or two on my own before the Denali's found me. I remember all the faces of the people…"

Silence.

"And you shut people out because you think they'll think you're a freak." Jasper said quietly. Dylan said nothing.

Suddenly, Rosalie hugged him tightly, surprising all of us, "You're not a freak." She said strongly, "Your past doesn't determine your future, I would know." She smiled at him genuinely.

"Thanks." Dylan said quietly.

"Feel better?" I asked.

"I guess." Dylan shifted uncomfortably, "I never told anybody about that, but…" He exhaled and frowned, "I guess I should have been more honest, you guys are like family."

"Dylan," Rosalie said slowly, "We _are_ your family."

**Rebecca-**

"William Jennings was a monster who created monsters," They told me. "A power hungry vampire who had the ability to completely brainwash people. He was cruel, and believed that humans were inferior, and that vampires should be ruling the world, humans under them, only there to sustain them."

My hands clenched as I heard this. What had he thought of my mother? Was she just a pawn?

"William tried to create an army," Amun said, "He turned animals into immortals, and they were vicious, out of control. The Volturi threatened to destroy him, but he knew they could not. So, he kept some of the animals, and began experimenting with people." Amun sighed, "Even I, though my conscious is not clean, think he is sick and twisted."

"What did he do?!" I demanded sharply.

"He found a cure to venom, and then took small children and bit them, then injected them with the cure. But only after the venom began to change them. The result was that, once the children became stable, they were a cross between human and immortal, powerful, dangerous, and unable to control their emotions. William created two of them." He sighed, "And then he discovered that biting a pregnant woman gave the same result. It's repulsing, putrid, sick and so… so… violating of any kind of respect for life that here is." Amun shook his head.

I couldn't bring myself to speak a word.

"He created two children this way as well, but only found one once he matured. His name was Luke, the others who were created the other way, and raised by him, were named Arin and Hannah. The children were violent, all they knew in their lives was fighting and death." Kebi muttered, "He came here not long ago, searching for the other child, asking us questions."

"But he was _not_ welcome here." Amun hissed, "And we sent him on his way."

"Do you have any idea where he went?" I asked, my throat dry.

"Why would you want to find him?" Amun shot back, "He is the worst of all of us."

Again, I had nothing to say. The man who's venom created me, who I shared… _DNA_ with was a monster! I was created to be part of his army, for other reason than to help William fulfill his sick dream of conquering humanity. I felt out of place, lost, like I was a monster as well, like I didn't belong.

"Demi?" Benjamin asked.

"I… uh… I just, need to find him." I said through clenched teeth.

"Why?" Amun asked, leaning forward.

"I want to kill him." I growled lowly.

"For what?" He pressed.

"For _everything_." I snapped.

"Benjamin," Amun said calmly, "This would be the fourth and final creation of William Jennings." He gestured towards me, "And she obviously did not turn out like he wanted, because she is angry with him."

"Because I have a _soul!"_ I burst out, "How could I not be furious with him!? He killed my mother! He ruined my life! He made me a freak!" I shouted, slamming my fist into the table.

"You are uncorrupted." Amun said, "And powerful from what Benjamin tells me, you could very well defeat William, resist his gift." He said, "Is that what you want?"

"What I've wanted since I figured out why I was different." I said bitterly.

"Because he is your father." Amun nodded.

Fury gripped me, "He is _not_ my father!" I shrieked, "My father was human, and a good man!"

Amun sighed, "Sit down Demi." He said, I stayed where I was, glaring, for a few seconds before sitting, "He bragged to me about this… his venom erased much of the original 'genetic map' as he called it, of the child." Amun muttered quietly, "He ran tests on Luke, and found that the DNA was mixed, about 40 percent of the genes were from the mother, only ten percent from the father… the rest from him. He said that he thought the mother was more dominant because Luke was still in his mother's womb when the venom entered his system." He said, sorrow mingled with repulsion in his voice.

"He claimed Luke as his biological son, and you… as his daughter."

With those few words, my world, shaky as it was, was shattered.

I was _related_ to this… this… _monster_.

_Life is never easy for those who dream._

**What do you think? Anything not clear about the whole part with William and his 'children'? Feel free to ask questions. Review please!**

**-Zeri!**


	12. Chapter 11 Half A Feeling

**Uh… see AN at end before killing me for the delay… please?**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot and the characters Rebecca Medachi (Athena), William Jennings, as well as Dylan, are mine, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 11- Half A Feeling

**Rebecca POV-**

The last week was a blur, I had left the Egyptians very quickly. I was in no state to stay with anyone at this point. Emotions and thoughts swirled in my head, crashing into each other like tidal waves. Exhausted, I tried to sleep, but the thoughts only grew louder.

…_small children and bit them…_

…_a cross between human and immortal… powerful, dangerous, unable to control their emotions…_

…_biting a pregnant woman… same result… created two of them…_

_His name was Luke…_

…_violent, all they knew in their lives was fighting and death._

_Worst of all of us!_

…_claimed Luke… biological son, and you as his daughter…_

_He was a monster who created monsters…_

_You are his daughter…_

…_he created monsters…_

_Your father… created you… monster…_

Monster. How should I feel? Knowing my own… my own… _father_ is a monster, a sick, twisted demon? I was disgusted. Disgusted in him, and in _myself._ For what I was, I was a pawn in his game, created only for his use. I was never meant to lead the normal life I have been seeking.

Lonesomeness is a grip. This much I have learned. It loomed over me constantly, but I refused to care enough about companionship for it to take hold of me. But now it had me firmly in its grasp. I wanted there to be someone like me… I had always wanted that. But now, I knew that I wasn't the only one. The others were monsters, and they were with William. Which, someone how made me feel worse rather than better. I wanted to be _near_ someone. Someone real, someone who would actually accept me instead of trying to use me. I saw that between Tia and Benjamin, they had each other and they way they looked at each other was just… _understanding._ Jealousy washed over me, I had _no one_. I'd cut every tie I'd ever made because I had to. It was something I chose, but I just didn't want it anymore.

It was too late to go back. In reality, there's no such thing as second chances. People don't easily forgive, and they judge quickly. Looking down at the burns on my hands, my feet, winding up to my knees, my wrists, this much was painfully evident. Trust was never something that came easily to me, I had always seen demons in people. And maybe that's why I pushed them away. Because the tiniest chance that they could turn on me, ever, was enough for me to want to push them away. It made me miserable, and I would push that away too. The misery. And then it would catch up to me, and I wondered why I was still doing what I was doing.

But I knew why. Deep down, I knew that anyone around me would have a death sentence glued to their head. Still, I felt hurt… and a little lost. William had said where he was going, to America, Reirdan in Maine to be more specific. I felt like I had no other purpose. I _had_ to go to America, and make Will's long lost daughter re-appear. I wanted to take him down, I knew it would be a suicide mission…

But right now, I didn't have any other purpose.

**Alice POV-**

I gasped, "She's coming here." I stammered.

"What? Who?" Jasper asked, concern laced in his voice and showing in his eyes.

"Rebecca, I saw it. She's going to take a plane to America." I said.

"Do you know why?" He asked patiently, always patiently.

"No… her future has been very blurry lately." I frowned. Jasper chuckled and kissed my forehead,

"You can't watch everything and still be perfect Alice," He said, "no one could manage that!" I sighed and relaxed into his arms. He always made me feel calm, and safe.

"I want to go meet her." I said after a long pause.

"Alice, are you sure that's smart?" He asked me, "Do you even know where her plane lands?"

"Logan International Airport in Boston." I said quickly. Jasper sighed and pulled me closer to him. His hands wrapped around my waist gently, and he leaned his forehead into my neck. "You don't want me to go." I said after a pause.

"No." He admitted, "I don't." I felt him take a deep breath against me, "Alice… I just don't trust this girl, I've never met her, I don't know anything about her. All I know is that she has a dangerous gift, a temper, she used to work for the Voltrui, and she's a wanted runaway in all of Europe." He sighed. "You can understand where I'm coming from, can't you?"

I leaned against him and nodded, "Yeah," I muttered, "I guess I can… and you're right in a way." I admitted, "I don't see her future very often, but she changes so much each time, like she's… growing up in a way, emotionally I guess then pulling away, and just repeating the circle over and over."

Jasper rested his chin on my shoulder, "Someone has to draw the short end in life." He muttered.

"It's not fair."

"No," He said softly, "No it isn't, but there's always something to balance it out. Bad past, good future." He said, smiling slowly at me. A warmth spread over me, I loved his smile, the way he looked when he was happy. How his cheeks would dimple just the tiniest bit and his eyes shimmered.

I knew he was right, and that he only wanted what was best for me… But I couldn't help but wonder what was going through Rebecca's head.

**Rebecca-**

"I'm sorry, that plane is fully booked." The woman at the counter said, and then smiled at me regretfully.

I ran my hand through my hair in frustration, "What about the next flight?" I asked.

"I apologize ma'am, but all flights to America are booked until a week and a half from now." She said, "I could but you on a flight to Germany, where there's an open flight to Boston from there."

"I'll take it." I sighed. I decided that I really, really, _hated_ India. Why was I in India? Needed a big airport. Every airport I had come across until this point was too small to be international, and security was corrupt. No way in hell a teenager from Italy could get through security at those other airports, I get my passport confiscated and thrown out. Which would have made me _furious_ and I would have beat the shit out of whoever did it.

See how that wouldn't have ended well?

But in India, unaccompanied minors flying to wherever was just dandy! So, with that happy thought, I forked over my passport for inspection. The woman paused,

"Nicole Demadoria?" She asked, "That's a very interesting last name, would you mind me inquiring your ethnic origin?" She asked professionally, but I knew she was screening me. Seeing as my passport claimed I was from Romania, there was really only one answer,

"Oh, my parent and I lived in Romania, but they're in England and they sent me to visit my cousin here. My cousin received a phone call yesterday," I frowned, "my parents had to take an emergency flight to America and I had to get there to." I put on my best mix of distress and worry look and willed the woman to believe me.

"Oh dear!" She said hurriedly, hands flying over the keyboard, "I'm so sorry sweetie, I'll get you to that lay-over in Germany right away!"

"Thank you very much ma'am!" I said, making my voice crack and pretending to cry. She handed me the ticket and I hurriedly walked away, snagging my passport and backpack off the counter. As I walked towards security, I could barely keep the smirk off my face. Security wasn't very crowded, seeing as it was two in the morning, but it was just as tense. A man in military uniform at a desk took my passport and boarding pass, examining them both with all kinds of instruments, while someone else pulled my backpack off my back and sent it through the x-ray scanner. I saw them pull out some off my stuff to, and hold it up to a light before placing it back. I had planned ahead, pulling the string off my bow, wrapping it carefully in cloth, and disassembly the arrows completely. I then carved ancient Indian markings onto them and put fake price tags on the tips. Making it seem like _my_ bow and the eleven arrows I had left were souvenirs.

And, of course, security bought it. Well… sort of, I ended up getting a full body frisk and had to empty all my pockets remove my shoes, socks, necklace, belt, sweater, scarf, _and_ they had a woman security guard root through my hair. I mean, seriously?! My _hair_. Yes, I am keeping a _bomb_ of mass destruction in my hair. Gah! I was snarling and growling like a crazed newborn under my breath. By the time I was given my shoes back and allowed to retrieve my backpack I was seeing red. Finding my gate, I sat down and closed my eyes, my fists clenched on my lap, barely suppressing the snarls shaking my frame.

_Dangerous, unable to control their emotions…_

I froze mid-step.

The thought had sliced through my conscious like a knife, unwelcome, but chilling and troubling. I nearly choked on the air I had just inhaled, I couldn't turn into a monster. I wouldn't be the monster my 'father' wanted me to be.

Remember, I told myself, remember what matters, the people who matter. I pictured that Felix was with me, that he was standing next to me. I drifted into a dream, asleep easily as I willed myself to be, in my small chair at the gate.

"_Lo ho mancato così tanto."_ I whispered sadly, I missed you so much. He smiled at me, his dark eyes gleaming as he engulfed me in one of his giant hugs which I so desperately missed. He smirks as he sets me back down on the ground, as my feet touch the floor, the airport melts away and I am standing outside my favorite tea shop in Volterra.

"Hey monkey," He chuckles, ruffling my hair. He is my brother, my family. He and Jane, Heidi and Alec, not William and his creations. He looks down at me, "Bex, you're not like them, you know that." He whispers, looking at me concerned.

"How did you know…?"

"I'm always looking out for you. I promised, didn't I? Since the day I met you? To take care of you?" His voice became wispy, distant. Tears streamed down my face, Felix sighed, "You know you've got to let yourself go sometime, Bex." He murmured, "You have to admit it…"

I knew exactly what he was talking about, "I'll never make it Felix, I'll never live through this if I… if I…" I choked on my words. Felix stepped closer to me wordlessly, enveloping me in a tight embrace.

"You can't keep shutting everyone out Bex, it's not good for you. It's not right."

"You did it." I murmured, "Before I came along you shut everyone out."

"I had an eternity to see the same faces, and I was tired of my life." He admitted, "But you're not me. You're lucky, blessed, you-are-_alive_ Bex! Do you understand that? Your heart beats, your lungs take in air with each breath that passes through your lips," He said fiercely, "Your skin is heated to a warm temperature because _life_ flows through your _veins_, there is color in your cheeks because you are beautifully mortal." His voice was earnest, one hand on my cheek. A small look of pain crossed his face, "You have no idea how much I value the warmth you take for granted. It was why I loved being around you so much that first week."

What he said slowly sunk in, "Felix… I'm in too deep for that… I can't just turn and run away now." I whispered.

"Why not?" He whispered back fiercely, "With my help, you walked away from the Volturi!"

"Because…" I gulped, "Maybe I don't want to kill him, maybe I just want to meet him." I murmured and leaned against him, "Maybe I just want answers… to finally know for sure…"

"You want a family." Felix sighed. "You need to let yourself realize that."

"I c-" Felix cut me off,

"One day, you'll let someone in." He said, his eyes sparkling, "I know you will, you'll find someone who you really truly deserve, and you won't have to be alone anymore." He said.

"Until then?" I sniffed. Felix smiled,

"I am so proud of you, sis, for being so tough, and not completely losing yourself." His entire face lit up with joy and happiness. I wanted that. To be able to be proud of someone, to influence someone in a good way, have someone who loves me, or looks up to me. "You are amazing, unique and beautiful, and you _can_ do this. So, go on and chase your dreams, but don't let your anger pull you down. William may be a wrong, in many ways, but that doesn't make him a monster, and it doesn't mean he doesn't love you. After all, he has been searching for his daughter all these years, worried about her safety." His voice began to quieter, he seemed to sink into the background shadows.

"Felix, don't go, please." I begged him, trying to clasp his hand, but it slipped away, melting right through mine.

"I have faith in you, Rebecca." He said with a bright smile.

And then he was gone…

And the tea shop melted away, and I was alone again. Sitting by myself in an airport, in the middle of a cold night, in a foreign country. A few tired people walked by, each heading for different futures, none acknowledging each other, but simply walking forward. Some nodded at each other, apologized should they brush against each other… met the eyes of the tired soul next to them…

But I was invisible. A spectator to the constant movement of life, as if I was not truly a part of it. Felix, in my dream, had said I was beautifully alive, blessed to be mortal. But was I really? I didn't fit well with the living, or flow into their pattern as seamlessly as every other human did. I wouldn't greet a stranger who smiled at me, nor apologize to the person whom I had bumped into. When my eyes met the eyes of those other souls, mine were not alight with recognition, nor were theirs, seeing the foreign color and immediately separating me.

Being alive didn't mean I _belonged_.

My lip quivered. A longing tore at me, I wished to be human. I wanted to be a foolish teenage girl, who grew, made friends, had loving parents, shyly smiled on the first day of school…

While most girls my age would have thrown huge parties for their sixteenth birthday, I completely forgot mine. I knew it had passed, but wandering cross-continent alone, not knowing what date it was, I had no such celebration. On a television screen above me, a small girl blew out the candles on her cake, her mother and father at her side, smiling joyously, a small black dog jumping into her arms. Sighing heavily, I closed my eyes, feeling weary, and far older than sixteen.

As though the joys of childhood had been robbed from me, never to be replaced.

The speakers crackled to life, and I slowly stood and grabbed my backpack. The flight was boarding. Ahead of me was a father carrying his sleeping child. From her limp and peaceful hand, her fingers relaxed in blissful sleep, her small fluffy teddy bear slipped free. The father's eyes pulled together, exhaustion on his face, he was on his last leg. Something about him screamed vulnerable. Perhaps he had lost his wife, and was hoping for a new start. I bent down and picked up the small bear in my hand, carefully, and felt its soft fluffy fur on my palm. It made my hand tingle, and I wondered if I had ever possessed one of theses.

With a small smile of sincerity, I turned to face him. A look of relief flooded through him, as if because there was one person kind enough to help him, that everything would be alright. I saw that both of his hands were occupied with his small girl, probably six years old. Gently, I placed the bear in the space between the girls chest and the fathers shoulder, her tiny arms surrounding it. The father's eyes crinkled in a smile.

The thank you was not spoken, but better conveyed than any other I have ever received. I briefly smiled back, feeling old tears well up in my eyes. Then I saw it, the flash of recognition, human to human, dance in his dark green eyes. He understood me, truly, he could actually relate. It didn't matter how or why, what mattered is that in that moment, we were both simply people. A tear slid down my cheek. But it wasn't of sadness, it was one of pure joy and relief.

The father put his soft hand on my shoulder and nodded at me briefly. Wordless, but meaningful. It will be okay, all of it, you'll pull through. Both of us will. I looked up at him and managed a week nod back.

He scanned his ticket and continued down the narrow hallway to the plane. I let out a shaky breath. I didn't know him, he wasn't a friend, nor was I anything to him. I didn't even know his name, but I didn't have to. I connected with him, as people do with each other every day. It was just… the first time it had happened to me. The attendant scanned my ticket, and with one last look out to the dark country I had barely gotten to know, a light rain beginning to fall, washing the landscape with the turning of the seasons… I gripped the strap of my backpack and swallowed one my deep breath of air, and stepped towards the plane. Behind me, all memories of my existence here had disappeared, all care of who Nicole Demadoria was eased away into a fog.

Life went on.

In a never ending pattern. Each motion and movement, each gesture slowly melted into the encasing grasp of time. The ever turning clock slowly flipped day and night, the cold grip of winter to the spreading warmth of spring. The pattern was unbreakable. Grief occurred, death happened, loss, sadness, anger and strife. But so did happiness, and new life, even joy. Somewhere a teenage boy cried in the streets alone, mourning the loss of his mother, dirty, soaked by rain and cold. Above him in the lit window, a single mother slowly rocked her baby to sleep. She is tired, and sad as well, her husband dying before he had the opportunity to see his son. But she gazes upon the son in wonder, hoping he brings better times. And better times are ahead, because things must always get better so long as one holds on. As human beings, they step to the beat of time, not because they want to leave the moment they are living in necessarily, but because they have no other choice.

Time moves forward, and so must the world. For we have no choice….

I exhaled, placing one foot in front of the other, concentrating only on the motion of walking forward. Forward. I must keep moving forward. I don't need to know where I'm going, nor do I need a specific goal. I just need to keep moving, and let what happens happen. Because I cannot change the past, nor influence the future.

Settling into my seat on the plane, I stared absently out the window. The rain was more constant now, whooshing rhythmically against my small window. I sighed slowly, as the plane began to move, watching the light on the edge of the wing blink on and off. Across from me, the father gently placed his sleeping daughter on her seat and gently buckled her seat belt. He leaned back against his seat as the plane slowly tilted up, the front wheel leaving the ground.

And then we were in the air, hurtling through empty sky. I slowly curled into a ball on my seat, letting my shoes slide off my feet and land on the floor in front of me. My chin rested on my knees as I watched the clouds fly by me. When I landed, I would be in another foreign land, and I would have to make a decision. America, I was going to for sure, but was it worth pursuing William? Someone who had brought my life pain and distress? Or, would it be better simply to settle down, start anew in the land of opportunity?

I curled up into a fetal position and let the constant movement of the powerful jet engines rock me into a welcome and sorely needed sleep. Peaceful.

**Okay… so, my excuse? Exams are coming up, and all the teachers are slamming on the work so we can get through our textbooks before the exam comes. I've been swamped, and just haven't had time, sorry!!!**

**A tad more emotional, but Rebecca is partially human. She's just struggling with how to balance it. So, moving along with the plot, heading towards her ultimate goal, William, and to America as well. Hope you guys are following the little subtleties I put in there, and appreciate the emotion I've put into this chapter. And it was difficult for me to write because my English is not so good, if anyone notices mistakes in grammar or spelling please feel free to let me know because I can only learn more if I know when I am wrong.**

**Reviews help create ideas, and correct mistakes, they make stories grow and flourish, so help a story, and grow an imagination! :) Thank you all for reading! **

**Thank you to my loyal reviewer, Sand n' Sable, your never failing positive reviews make my day!**

**So… everyone should review so I know whether or not this is total crap! ;)**


	13. Chapter 12 According To Plan

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot and the characters Rebecca Medachi (Athena), William Jennings, Eric and Claire Pierce, as well as Dylan, are mine, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 12- According To Plan**

**Third POV-**

Dylan sighed as he dropped his backpack on the ground and shook the rain out of his hair. He watched as his sister, Alice, immediately sat down and began to write something on a piece of paper. Not write, draw.

Curious, he glanced over at her as he hung his coat up.

"I'll tell you in a second." Alice said quickly as he walked over. Despite himself, Dylan couldn't help but smile, he had grown used to his sisters premonitions. She grabbed different colored pencils, her hand moving quickly across the page. Her mate, Jasper, walked in wordlessly and sat down next to her, completely used to the premonitions and comfortable with them. And why shouldn't he be? They had saved his life, and his sanity.

Alice turned the page, grabbed a new pencil, turn, new color, and turn again. Each time her hand would fly across the page so quickly that it would seem the design simply appeared on the page. Jasper sighed,

"With color to." His finger tips brushed against the paper, "Must be special."

"I promised you it would be the last time I looked for her future." Alice, "So I'm making the last one special. So I can remember." She smiled briefly and then finally put the last pencil down.

Dylan peered at the drawing. It was on a plane, this much he knew quickly. Outside one tiny window, a fluffy cloud floated in mid air, illuminated by the flashing of the plane's lights in the night. Jasper tilted his head to one side, recognizing the Italian words on the backpack leaning on the empty aisle seat but not knowing what they meant.

Dylan's eyes fell on the focus of the drawing. If possible, his heart would have stopped. He didn't know exactly how he felt… but she was… she was…

_Beautiful._

Her knees were drawn up against her chest, one of her tiny legs dangling over the chair. Her foot nearly touched the ground, a small black shoe on it. She wore simple jeans, but on her they looked fantastic. One of her arms rested against the window which she was blissfully staring out of. Her expression was impassive, eyes half closed, and she seemed deep in thought. Her raven black hair fell across her face haphazardly, her other hand tangled in it. The angles of her face were sharp in the cheekbones and neck, but at the same time soft and feminine around her chin, lips, and nose. Her eyes, though small with sleep, glistened a brilliant violet color. They were more beautiful than any flower, lilac specifically, he had ever seen.

"Who…?" Dylan asked quietly.

"Rebecca." Alice sighed contently, "I would have been her maid of honor when she got married… it's really too bad." She said sadly.

Dylan felt something inside his chest sink. _When she got married,_ she belonged to someone else then?

He heard a laughing from somewhere else in the house. Dylan groaned quietly at the slight annoyance of having a sibling who heard your every thought.

"No," Edward chuckled, as he sat beside his sister, "She does not belong to anyone, and it is a good thing to." He added.

"Why?"

"She'd eat them alive." Edward continued to laugh. Dylan blinked. His head whirled, confusion mostly, why did he think such a beautiful girl was so violent and nasty? He paused and shook his head, as if trying to clear the mental 'fog'. He shouldn't care. This was even less than a girl on a plane, it was a _drawing_ of said girl. So why did he care?

"Dylan," Jasper said slowly, drawing out the name slowly, "Please, for the love of… all that is _good_, decent, _and sane_, please tell me that it isn't _you_ who those emotions are coming from." His gaze caught Dylan like a fly in a web.

"Er…" Dylan forced through his teeth, "I have no idea what you're talking about." He sat up straighter and cleared his head.

Esme, who had watched Dylan as he grew out of his silence, put her hand on his shoulder. She smiled, "It's okay for Dylan to care, Jasper." She said seriously, "It just means he's capable of sympathy, like most people." Her words were precise at the end. Jasper sighed and stretched out on the couch, his head in Alice's lap.

"Oh, he can care all he wants." Jasper said, "I'm just thinking about keeping dangerous people away from this family."

Alice shook her head slightly, "She wouldn't attack me."

"How do you know for sure?" Jasper questioned.

"Because, she remembers everyone whose ever helped her, and she promised herself nothing would ever cause them to come to harm."

**Rebecca- **

The sun broke over the clouds, as the plane began to slowly drop lower out of the sky, nose towards Germany. Sighing heavily, I forced my eyes all the way open and placed my feet on the ground in front of me. Across from me, the father was shuffling around, getting assorted items back into his backpack but being careful not to wake his daughter. I smiled slightly to myself.

The landing was smooth, which I thanked my lucky stars for, considering I really had to use up some of my energy… and have it bumped around would be bad on an airplane. That being said, as soon as the door was open I bolted out of the plane, and headed straight for the bathroom.

Locking the door behind me, I exhaled slowly, feeling all my muscles slowly relax, and a tingle start to flow through me… pulsing in my veins. When I opened my eyes, my fingers had tiny flames burning from them, as if they dripped from my veins to my fingertips. That's what it felt like actually. It's a common misconception that fire is simply dangerous and evil. Fire keeps people warm, it gives them light, something to gather around. It can be company, or a guide, it sends messages and saves lives with its heat. It dries out wet socks after a rainy day, boils water for tea, heats a warming soup to sooth a cold.

So, for me, fire has always been calming. Not always a weapon, though the Volturi would prefer I use it only as the latter. Oh, I could totally rub this in their face, to the point where overkill would be so disgraceful and understatement that it the word couldn't even be used.

I could live life like the cops were on my tail, I could burn every building I saw, and kick the shit out of anyone who got in my way. I could give myself a huge reputation, blow the secret wide open, smear it in Aro's face and be the girl-gone-bad who history would remember as a dangerous demi-mortal who had a short fuse.

I could team up with William, and put down anyone who ever challenged me again. Anyone who sniffed at me, glowered, told me I wasn't good enough, laughed, or just straight up ignored me could finally get what was coming to them. With William, I could take the Volturi _down_, and have everything I could dream of.

If this seems ideal to you, I'll let you in on a secret. It's crazy. It's stupid, delusional and a sure fire way to get myself killed. Every conqueror in history has died a terrible death. Sadly, this was the exact course of action the Voltrui expected me to take. By doing what I was doing, sneaking around, covering my tracks, and changing my name constantly, I was keeping myself alive instead of growing a big ego.

I'm not a dumb kid anymore.

I rolled my head to one side, feeling my neck crack, and got my mind in the right place again. Emotional episodes were occasional, and I can learn from them, but it was time to get serious again. I felt a tiny smile pull at my lips, just the fact that I was still alive was an insult to the Volturi. Right now, I'm sure Aro had a lovely price on my head, and I was getting enough revenge just by the fact that I'm still standing on my own two.

I splashed water on my face and slicked my hair back a little bit as another girl walked into the bathroom. She was five foot seven, an inch or so taller than me. Her face was covered in makeup, eyeliner and mascara covering her eyes. Her hair was in a neat bun, she wore a perfectly unwrinkled shirt and skinny jeans. A purse was around her shoulder, sunglasses on top of her head. The words 'material girl' fit perfectly. Her green eyes flicked up at mine and she sniffed quietly in distaste.

I suppose I know why. Because the girl in the mirror was wearing loose, baggy jeans, a black tee-shirt and combat boots. Because the girl in the mirror had scars on her arms and face, because she let her hair stay in a tangled ponytail all the time, because she was the opposite of picturesque feminist charm. Jane once told me that if I learned to care about my looks, then I could look stunning.

Somehow, beauty never really mattered to me.

Go figure.

So, I tossed the woman a lovely smile, trying my best to make her uncomfortable as I pushed the door open and did my best not to flip her off.

The Berlin International Airport was… well, bigger than the one in India. I'd give it that. And it was as if, during the time I was in the bathroom, it had suddenly been swarmed with people. They walked by, like one-track-minded-zombies, as I stood motionless, my backpack slung over one shoulder.

And then, I saw it.

One pair of eyes standing out among all the rest. Because they were zeroed in on me, because I read intention, anger and pain in them. And most of all… because they were silver.

"_FIRE!" _ I shrieked at the top of my lungs, _"EVERYONE GET OUT, FIRE!"_ Some people moved, yelled and panicked. The majority looked around, confused. The silver eyes man smiled slowly and began making his way towards me.

I don't speak a word of German.

But, a fire causes panic no matter who you are or what language you speak. Well shit, I thought, there goes my cover. There weren't any attractive alter though. Oh, man, I'd never be able to come back to RGermany again even if I wanted to after this.

I let a tiny ember of fire fly from my hand to an empty security car. The tire was consumed by orange with a loud whoosh. _Now_ people started screaming and running. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the father from my plane trying to get to his daughter, who had fallen over next to the security car, but the tide of panicked people kept pushing his back. The car was primed to blow, and it was my fault. I couldn't let the girl die, not after I met them, I understood them. They helped me get my feet back on the ground. Time to return the favor.

With a snarl of frustration, I dove for the girl. My arms wrapped around her tightly, and I curled into a ball, hearing a small click behind me. That was that gas tank, a spark hit fuel. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused all my energy into forcing flames away from me, remembering to pray at the last second.

_BANG!_

The car went off like an old fashion stick of dynamite. Oxygen around me was sucked out of the air by the explosion, and at the same time I felt the pressure wave smack into me. Heat surrounded me, as I wrestled with my control over I fire that wasn't mine. It felt foreign, lashing out at me, tainted with gasoline. I had just enough control to keep it at bay long enough to drag myself and the girl from the flames. A searing pain shot through my side, and I almost collapsed right there.

It wouldn't have mattered if I did, because two rough hands hauled me off the ground.

My vision was blurred, but the shining silver coming from where the person's eyes should have been was a dead giveaway. His lips were moving, but the only thing I could hear was a high pitched ringing. Then suddenly I was being shaken, side to side quickly. Imagine having your brain roll around in your head, and that's how I felt.

Everything was slower, frustratingly slow, I couldn't make my arms move, couldn't feel any part of my body to fight back. My eyes snapped to a movement just inside my peripheral vision. A human sucker-punched the werewolf, sending him sprawling. My eyesight had recovered just enough for me to tell that it was the father. Go dads!

The werewolf let a feral snarl rock through the air, and I heard a yelp. The tainted gas-fueled fire roared loudly behind me, responding to my anger.

Without thinking, while still unable to hear or see clearly, I threw myself at the werewolf.

I felt a sudden sharp pain, but I couldn't tell where, every part of my sense exploded in white light so painful I was sure I would be blinded permanently. Then, everything became dark. For how long I do not know, I could not gather my thoughts enough to count seconds. Slowly, I clawed my way back to proper thinking, trying to remember where I was, and other basic recovery functions after a concussion.

Tiny blips of chopped up sounds lapped at my ears.

_Doesn't… German… think… English… _

My senses were returning, though I don't remember ever losing them. Strange. Wasn't I just lunging at a werewolf? A prick of panic invaded my veins. I had attacked him. Then, then… blank. I didn't remember.

"Hello? Ms, can you hear us?"

My breath would not return to me, there was a growing pain in my lungs. It felt like slowly all the oxygen in my body was turning to water, and I was drowning inside myself, unable to move.

**Carlisle POV-**

It was interesting to watch my children interact. Compare to the beginning, when it seemed my family and then Dylan, as though he were an afterthought. But now seeming as a part of the whole, and whole in and of himself as well.

Emmett was thrilled to have a new wrestling partner, though Esme was not to thrilled with the new abuse her furniture took because of this. Jasper and Dylan would sometimes talk about history, they both seemed intellectuals who admired history. He and Alice were good friends as well, she could convince him to do just about anything, and Rosalie treated him like a little brother.

Edward was a slightly different matter. Dylan trusted him, but at the same time wasn't the same person around him. He and Edward talked about an myriad of subjects, and through this I discovered that Dylan had quiet the strength in understanding numbers. His mind worked well at solving problems, and finding patterns. He and Edward interacted as friends rather than brothers.

Alice flounced down the stairs, happy as usual, Jasper behind her. Dylan, relaxed on the couch, was reading a rather old book about Greek Mythology.

"So," Alice sat cheerily, drawing out the word and leaning over the couch. She picked up the Greek Mythology book in one hand and snapped it shut. Dylan sighed and looked up,

"Am I to assume that reading time is over?" He mocked her with a slight smile.

"We," Alice said, her eyes flickered up to mine for a second. I sighed inwardly, she often made decisions without informing other people. It didn't always go smoothly. "Think that you should try something new next year." Alice said happily.

Dylan frowned slightly, "What?"

"Well, seeing as after Edward and Bella _finally_ get married, assuming I get to arrange and decorate, the Bella will be a newborn in about… well, around mid October I think, and we'd have to stay here until we knew it was safe for her to move around without catching a scent and going crazy." Alice began explaining, "That gives us about two months of the school year."

Dylan snorted, "Have fun with that."

Now I knew where this was going. "Alice," I said sternly, "This is not a decision you can force upon him-" She interrupted me.

"Oh, but I can see he'll be just fine, nothing would happen! I bet he'd even enjoy getting back to school after all the years he's missed."

"No!" Dylan shouted immediately, "Are you insane? Have you completely lost your mind?" He was standing up, shouting at Alice, "I have enough issues with _Bella!_ And I know her, she's a friend, but… but… _school?"_ He demanded.

"You'll be fine, Dylan," Alice attempted to assure him, I could already tell the Jasper was saturating the air with soothing calm and an open-minded feeling.

"Stop that!" Dylan snapped, glowering at Jasper.

"You need to at least test yourself Dylan." Alice stressed.

That hit a nerve. Dylan snarled lowly at Alice, "A test? Do you really think that's such a good idea? _Test_ my already poor control when I'll be completely surrounded by human children?" He snapped angrily.

"Dylan," Jasper spoke calmly, "perhaps it would be best if you could understand this from _my_ point of view." He said, "Since we both sustained ourselves off of human blood before converting, instead of always being dedicated." He said slowly.

Dylan paused, his mask of anger flickered for a second in confusion.

"It was difficult for me as well…" Jasper admitted, "And there were times where I wanted to give up, but I had my family to help me, and Alice. And after I finally got used to it, and I knew my limits, I could go outside more, see people, talk to people… it felt a lot more like freedom." He paused, "Honestly, you can't spend the rest of eternity avoiding humans, I know you don't trust yourself,"

"I trust mys-"

"No you don't." Jasper cut him off, "I had no trust in myself either, no faith in my ability to resist. But I learned, only by testing my limits."

"I could… hurt someone." Dylan muttered miserably, slumping back onto the couch. "It's happened in less… close contact situations…" He grimaced.

"We could help you." Jasper reasoned, "Alice and I technically don't have all the credits we need to graduate, and we were thinking about a post-graduation year at Forks. And Esme has been looking for something to keep her a bit more occupied. She volunteered to be a teacher in natural painting." Jasper explained.

Dylan was silent, his head in hands, he was obviously thinking.

I cleared my throat, "I have faith in your control. For someone of your age, you are exceptionally well controlled."

He grimaced.

"I've never been around… people… like _that_ before." He muttered through his teeth.

"You're going to have to sometime." Jasper said, "It is hard, I know, but you have support. I had the family, and you have us now."

"It would be good for you. To be able to get out more…" I said slowly, I hated how he was forced to stay indoors while my other children went to school. He rarely went out, and when he did it was for either hunting or something Alice dragged him to.

"How long?"

"Pardon…?" I didn't quite understand,

"Oh, a while," Alice said quickly, "Bella's just graduated, so we have the whole summer until school starts again."

"And… you and Jasper would be there…?"

"We'd probably even have some of the same classes." Alice assured him.

"I…"

Alice squeaked suddenly and clapped her hands, smiling broadly.

"You are so _manipulative_." Dylan muttered, shaking his head.

"You'll thank me in time." She smiled.

"You would know."

**Rebecca-**

Every fiber of my body was in pain. Not the fierce, fiery kind of pain I was so familiar with, but a dull aching that was so constant and slow it was frustrating. The most prominent was a rhythmic throbbing in my head, and my upper back ached pretty terribly as well.

"Ah…" I groaned quietly, slowly shifting my weight.

"Careful," I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Easy, you were pretty badly hurt."

"What…?" I managed to croak out, my throat constricting around itself, dry.

I forced my eyes open, and an almost painful amount of light flooded my senses. There was a man in a doctor's coat, and… the father.

"You're in a hospital honey," The doctor, who was female, said smoothly in slightly accented English. "Do you remember what happened?"

_Yeah, a werewolf was stalking me, I blew up an airport, and then he kicked my ass._

"Not really…" I muttered.

"Okay, let's start with your name." The doctor sighed.

"Uh… Nicole…" I said slowly, feeling like there was a flaw in my thought process, like my brain was slower.

"Nicole I'm Doctor Hertzog, and this is American Senator Eric Pierce." The doctor said. "You've had a rather nasty accident I heard, involved in the terrorist attack at the airport, right, do you remember that?"

Again with the _it was a werewolf_ thing.

"Ah… yeah I think so…" I stammered over the words.

"Well, you dove towards a bomb my dear, to save the Senator's little girl." She smiled. The father glowed, I hadn't known he was a Senator… this might be slightly more… attenuation than I wanted.

"That sounds like a not so good idea." I muttered lamely.

"Well," The father/senator cleared his throat, "It wasn't. But you saved my little Claire, and so I am in debt to you. I'll handle all of the medical expenses." He said.

"You don't have to do that." I said quickly.

"You didn't have to risk your life."

I fell silent. He cared. Someone _cared._ Did most people… care? Was it normal for people to want to help each other, and reach out?

I felt a sudden prickly heat in my fingers, my hand twitched spastically. "Ow." I hissed under my breath.

"You sustained some very terrible injures Nicole, some from the explosions and some from when the terrorist actually assaulted you. Severe bruising all over you back, from the blast, a ruptured eardrum, and massive amounts of blood loss, not to mention a near fatal blow to head… I'm surprised you pulled through." The doctor shuck her head. "We had to give you three transfusions."

_Shit._

My body barely worked well enough to not attack my _own_ blood, I didn't know how it would react to foreign blood.

"Um, can I leave?" I asked carefully, straining to keep the slight panic out of my voice. The Doctor Hertzog grimaced,

"You were in a coma for almost a week child… you should stay for at least another day or two." She said. A day or two! I couldn't stay here! They would know where I was, my face would be on the news! I had to move as soon as possible!

Senator Pierce cleared his throat, "Doctor, perhaps it would be worse for Nicole to stay."

The doctor blinked.

"Nicole may be… well… unsafe here." The Senator intoned.

"Oh. _Oh._" She finally gasped. "Oh my! Oh, I am so sorry my dear, I had no idea." It clicked into place in my head. Pierce thought the 'terrorist' was specifically targeting me. I put on a forced-sad smile.

"It's alright… I'm kind of used to it." I muttered, making my eyes well up with fake tears. Pierce stepped forward and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Can you tell me why that man wanted to hurt you?" He asked softly.

"Ah…" I took a moment to conjure up a story, but Pierce would think I was emotional. "Well, my parents filmed documentaries on political corruption and civil uprisings." I said, "And well… there was one group, my dad never said who, I know that's who they were researching."

Pierce frowned, "Why didn't he say who they were?" _Uh… werewolves_.

"Because he thought if I knew they'd try to kidnap me." I muttered.

"I see," Pierce said, "You should call your parents and tell them you're okay."

"They're dead." I whispered. I heard Pierce gasp, "I'm the only one who has the tapes, and the notes they took. Only some though… the other ones disappeared when my parents were killed."

Pierce nodded.

"Doctor, Nicole needs to leave as soon as possible, she'll be in my custody." He turned to me, "Where do you need to go?"

"America!" I said immediately, "My Aunt, I have to see my Aunt." Pierce nodded again,

"Just headed there myself."

"But sir," The doctor cut in, "All airports have been shut down after the bombing."

"A U.S. navy ship is departing Russian coast this afternoon to head back to the States, it should arrive there in a week or so, it's very fast. Considering how long the airports will be out for a while, this is our best option." He said, looking at me seriously. "Ms, you are a very skilled young woman and courageous, but I need you to be cooperative."

"Yes sir." I said quickly.

"Good." He smiled, "As of now, you are under protective custody of the American government."

Ha! I like America already.

"Uh…." I groaned, leaning against the wall. Pierce smirked slightly, his daughter next to him.

"I take it back, I don't want to go to America." I whimpered, sliding down the wall.

"What's up with her?" A passing sailor asked.

"Sea sick." Pierce murmured, a human would have missed it from where I was sitting, the sailor burst out laughing.

"_Zitto!"_ I snapped at him bitterly as the boat tipped again and my stomach churned. I snarled lowly under my breath.

"Senator Pierce said you're in witness-protection, that right?" The sailor asked, kneeling next to me.

"Sì," I muttered.

"Where you from?"

"Italy." I groaned, my stomach flipping over again.

"Never been on a boat before?"

"I _hate_ water." I growled. He laughed,

"Oh, honey you're going to have _fun_ on this trip."

It was torture. After take about seven Dramamine, I was still about to puke. I went to sleep nauseous, sore, and with an aching burn in the back of my throat, wondering what to do next.

Ta-freaking-da people! Wow, this is MOVING! I got big plans! Hahahahahahahah….

Whoah, too much soda.

ANYWAYS…. Review please? Thank you to all people following this story, see you next chapter!


	14. Chapter 13 NO WAY

**Chapter 13- NO WAY**

There is no chapter 13, as it is an unlucky number and I am superstitious. However, by the time you read this the next chapter will be up :) Thanks for understanding!

THIRTEEN IS AN UNLUCKY NUMBER I TELL YOU!


	15. Chapter 14 Fall To Pieces

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 14- Fall To Pieces**

**Rebecca-**

"Wake up!"

"Wake up!"

"YO, WAKE UP!"

I felt someone grab my ankle, and flailed around on my bed, correction- _it's a cot_, and kicked the thing off my ankle.

"Wah!" Someone yelled, and there was a thumping noise, I sat up right, and in one fluid motion was on my feet. One sailor who I had seen around was now on the floor, one hand pressed to his stomach.

"Oh, sorry!" I said quickly, helping him to his feet.

The sailor straightened up, "Captain Davidson, good morning Ms." He said gruffly.

It had been a few days, and my stomach still did flips every time I moved. "Morning Captain."

"We'll make landfall soon, get your stuff together."

Finally, I could get my plans in motion.

**Alice POV-**

BREAKING NEWS! The television yelled from the living room.

"Yeah right," I muttered, "If it were that important, I would've…"

"_A terrorist bombing in Germany today nearly claimed the lives of Senator Eric Pierce and his young daughter."_

"Fine, you know what, never mind." I grumbled sourly as Emmett laughed.

"_Rare footage here shows a third party whom is believed to be the terrorist's target."_

I darted into the room just in time to see a black and white film, and a quick flash of a familiar face diving towards a car that ripped into flames a second later. Carlisle, Dylan, and I all leaned forward.

"Oh, oh no!" Esme muttered, distressed.

"_The girl is believed to be Nicole Alister, whose parents made documentaries about political corruption. They were killed by a terrorist group earlier this year."_

"Nicole?" Emmett asked out loud, "I thought you said her name was Rebecca."

"It's a fake." I stated dryly.

I watched as my friend, my would-have-been loyal shopping buddy, who would have made me here maid-of-honor, dragged herself away from the fire, the resolution of the film sucked. A man picked her up by her neck and shook her. Another figure, the Senator I assume, pushed him, I couldn't tell from this angle.

Rebecca lunged forward and smacked into the man. The grappled and wrestled for a few seconds before her head hit the ground, hard. The video cut out as something from the burning car flew into the camera.

"Well," Rosalie remarked in a monotone, "We know _she's_ keeping out of trouble."

I growled at her.

"Bella's going to be here soon." Carlisle mused after a long silence. Dylan shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"You'll be fine." I said, nodding at him. "She's here to talk about wedding decorations, then we'll go hunt, okay?"

He nodded stiffly.

"Bella!" I called happily as Edward held the door open for her. I gave her a tight hug, "Ready for wedding planning?" I asked. She smiled shyly, like she didn't really want to, but to bad!

Her eyes wandered around the room, and fell on my brother. This would be the first time they met. "Bella," Edward started, "This is our brother Dylan." He introduced her, though Edward had no doubt told Bella about him before. "Dylan, this is Bella, my fiancée."

Dylan, who was standing on the other end of the room, smiled politely, "Nice to meet you, Bella." He said smoothly. No human would have been able to here the strain in his voice.

"Aren't you gonna shake her hand or something?" Emmett teased Dylan, who glowered coldly at him.

"It's okay Dylan, you two are going to be good friends soon anyway. She'll be our sister." I encouraged. He sighed heavily. Snarling curses under his breath at Emmett, he stepped forward.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He said, meeting Bella's already extended hand. Bella was trying to help him, being the selfless given she was, she wanted to help him with his control, as insane as Edward thought this was.

"Thanks, Dylan." Bella said, more was encompassed in that thank you than just the warm greeting.

"Wedding planning!" I said instantly, pulling Bella's sleeve.

She groaned dramatically. I glanced over at Edward and glowered,

"Don't even think about it, this is girl time!"

"Whatever you say." He chuckled, and Emmett laughed.

"Ay, let's go bad some grizzlies, who's coming?" Emmett smack Dylan's shoulder.

"Bet I'll find one before you." He challenged.

"Oh, you are _on_ little bro!"

The two were out the door in a second, yelling at each other and shoving playfully. Esme sighed and shook her head, "Boys will be boys."

"Except instead of playing football, they go hunting." I added with a small smile.

"Well, all but Emmett. He wrestles with the bears." Jasper rolled his eyes.

**Rebecca/Nicole-**

"It's been a pleasure, thank you very much." I said sincerely, shaking Captain Davidson's hand with a smile.

"No problem, you weren't exactly a disruptive passenger." He laughed and returned my smile.

I stepped off the boat, the smell of cleaning chemicals and engines that I had grown used to was gone like mist on a sunny day. The solid ground actually felt weird beneath my feet. But I didn't stumble like Senator Pierce did, Captain laughed at him,

"You'll get your land legs back, just you wait!" He chuckled, then turned back to the men on his ship, "Right boys, tie her down, we go over ship inspection the head back out, double time!" The men moved quickly to his orders. Pierce steadied himself against the pier, his daughter suppressing small giggles.

"So Nicole," He started, "Where are you headed?"

"Depends, where are we?" I asked, looking around at the port city.

"Port-Town, Maine, up near the northern border of Canada, I'm heading south to Washington for a debriefing of what happened in Germany, you need a ride somewhere?"

Maine. That's where William was last seen! Yes, this is exactly where I need to be. I shook my head, "No, this is where I need to be, my Aunt lives here, thank you so much." I whispered.

He nodded once, his eyes speaking for him.

"Goodbye Nicole," He said quietly, "You know…" He paused, "you could have told me your real name. I wouldn't have told anyone."

He left me in a stunned silence, that odd pulling feeling in my heart again. Knowing someone had connected with me, and cared, that there was a level of understanding that I didn't comprehend but somehow I didn't have to.

I inhaled deeply, smelling hundreds of scents of the town. A sudden, sharp, dryness in my throat made me gag, and swallow rapidly.

"_Che diavolo…?"_ I muttered to myself, what the hell? I swallowed again, my throat feeling like sandpaper and pulled out my water bottle, gulping down half of it and rubbing my throat as I walked away from the pier towards the town. Absently, I wondered if I was getting sick, that maybe I had picked something up on the boat. It certainly did smell strongly of harsh chemicals there… maybe it somehow made me sick. But then I would have a headache to, my logical side argued. Still, there wasn't much of a logical explanation at all. Usually, I would pay no attention to aches, but this seemed different, stronger, and it was affecting _me_. It was making me jumpy, and I felt suddenly annoyed and bitter. I took a long drink from my water, but the usual relief it brought was absent, it felt odd in my mouth, like it tasted wrong, felt wrong. Slimy even. Disgusted, I threw it back in my bag. My throat burned, insistently, as if the pain had a mind of its own. Like it was its own sense. I cleared my throat, feeling it dry and scratchy, no relief, before sneering at the ground, kicking dirt, and kept walking.

The town was pretty quiet, no one was outside at this time of night. A small breeze brought the scent I was looking for. A light sweet scent, mixed with hints of flowers and honey, as well as a tinge of human-esque warmth in it. That's it. The other hybrids, they were here at one point.

I breathed a small sigh. Maybe it was all coming to an end then, all I was working and fighting for. Bit by bit I had searched for answers, step by step, repeating left and right, not really thinking. I was a soldier, I set an example, I never showed emotion, never lost a fight, and never blew her cover. Honestly, I was exhausted. Not physically, because after years of strenuous training and molding, I doubted I would ever be too tired to keep running. But mentally, I was reaching the end of my rope. I was partially human, and not meant to spend my childhood running and fighting for her life. I don't want to spend the rest of my life talking with my firsts, not having anyone close to me. Felix told me, when I found out about William for the first time, that even though I was furious, and tearing my hair out, that what I really wanted was a father. I shrieked at him, crying and kicking hysterically, yelling that he was a monster and I would never love him, that I swore I would kill him… and Felix just smiled sadly at me. He said I'd understand one day.

I wish he was here now. Because, I could remember all that perfectly, and now I understood, and I yearned for his comfort. I got into a rhythm, several times I picked up on rhythms. I obeyed the masters, and I got by, day after day, same routine. Then, it all fell to pieces, because freedom wasn't being away from oppression. Without a pattern, those first weeks in London were unbelievably rough, I almost couldn't think for myself.

Each time I took a fall, I had someone to pick me up. First it was Felix, and he held me up on his shoulders while I grew up. When I crashed, Connie and Annalise picked up the pieces. But I left a piece of me with every place I've traveled recently. How would I get back this time? I didn't hate William anymore. I wanted to meet him, wanted him to be kind and open, to be loveable so I could let someone in again.

I ducked into a motel, in the lobby there was a small circle of people, each one looking cold and misplaced. They all met my eyes and I looked down. Sure, we were all misplaced, but… on different levels. Pierce connected with me because he and I shared a kind of loss. But what did I share with these people? I wasn't even the same species, and my story could make anyone scream and run. I swallowed hard, feeling my throat flame with each breath I took. Make it through one more day, I told myself, biting my lip, and you'll get what you've been looking for. Tomorrow.

Always tomorrow.

I snatched a room key and quickly turned around, throwing the hood of my sweatshirt over my face as I walked back outside and down the sidewalk. I threw my bag on the ground, the light illuminating a room so plain and lonely I wanted to scream. Instead I just flopped down on the cold bed, feeling utterly defeated and exhausted.

And my throat kept aching insistently. I could not find sleep, I was on the edge of collapsing, but could not find sleep. Frustration tainted my thoughts as I began to pace back and forth. My hands tangled in my hair and I leaned against the wall, angry, sad, confused and… I wanted someone who would help me. So that if I broke down, they could help me get back up again. With a small howl I kicked the wall, leaving a small dent. I rested my forehead against the wall and willed my head to clear of the whirling thoughts and feelings.

Finally, I ended up on the balcony, the door clicking behind me, standing alone in a cold night. I stared at the nearly full moon, remembering that the last time I saw one, I was in Egypt. I swallowed hard, feeling the immediate bite-back of the burn in my throat. Wandering around, pacing in an empty dirt lot, I wondered what my life would be like right now if I was still a Volturi. Footsteps suddenly echoed, and my throat seared. I heard a heartbeat getting closer, a dull low thudding… and… it wasn't just a sound, it was pulling me _in._

Then I understood.

Which made my heart sink right into the pit of my stomach, and the world spun a few rotations. I shouldn't have this! I'm not a bloodsucker, I never had… had… _thirst._ But it was freezing me in place, a desire rising up so violently forceful that I couldn't _make myself move away_. Nor could I stop breathing, because I felt a separation, the cold dead half of what I was rising up and cheering, adding oxygen to the flames in my throat and rejoicing at the weakening of my will. I'd lived with those who had control issues, but they all dealt with it, because they were used to the burning thirst. They had grown accustomed to it, though they spoke of the newborn years, where the thirst was new, and took them off guard. When it was nearly uncontrollable.

A dark figure stumbled down the alley towards me, in the abandoned dirt lot. I smelled it, censed it, my mind betraying me and imagining the taste. I wanted to vomit, it was sickening. My eyes snapped to him, stumbling in my direction, a dark liquid dripping off his hand. My mind was both frozen and flying, he must be injured, maybe got into a fight. I should help him, logic pushed. No, no, _no!_ I wanted it, so badly, don't move, if you try to help him, you'll kill him!

No, you can help him… a sly voice in the back of my head stated, he's in pain, probably won't make it anyway, you'd be putting him out of his misery…

No! That's so wrong!

"Excuse me…" His voice was meek, feeble. My throat flamed, drawing a low moan from my lips as I leaned all my weight on the wall of the empty lot.

"Please miss… please… could you call... ambulance…?" He coughed. I wanted to yell at him, shriek to get away, but I was too absorbed in the scent, I didn't want to let it go. My throat burst into flames, like pulling the cord on a hot air balloon, it was excruciating. He was so close, his heart beat now having a duller noise, I could hear it beating against his liquid blood, adding an extra thump to the sound, his radiating warmth nearly touching me.

I couldn't make myself run.

I couldn't look away.

I couldn't stop myself.

He stumbled one more step, which would have put him into my arms and I caught him. I saw a flicker of relief on his face, and remembered feeling so awful, like I was betraying humanity itself… And then, I couldn't resist anymore.

I doubt he had time to think, to react. I was possessed, and as my final strand of will was shredded, my body was completely taken over with a fierce and desperate need. Moving in a blur, faster than I usually could, as if this were a sprint, like it was life or death. One hand pressed him against the wall, the other tilting his head to the side, exposing more of his neck. The pale skin glinted slightly in the moonlight. The inferno in my throat gained strength, demanding, ordering. My conscious shrieked in agony, disgusted, horrified, and in more pain than the thirst itself was causing me. Still, to close to get away from the smell, or will myself to move, waves of uncontrollable desire crashing over me like tidal waves, I managed to feel remorse, and gilt.

"Forgive me." A single tear slid from my eye. And then, my last scarps of humanity were torn to pieces.

My teeth sunk in, like it was nothing tougher than butter, slicing cleanly through. The blood started to flow. My tongue lapped at it eagerly, the taste of it creating a feeling of euphoria that sickened the part of me not entranced by thirst. A tremor ran down my spine, the thirst rejoicing, reveling in its victory. The blood was thick, and warm, soothing the burn and… _ah_, the taste! It all but split me in two, part of me so repulsed that it was in pain beyond comprehension, and the other half… simply in ecstasy. Mind blowing, like every single one of my senses was being overwhelmed. Sweet, warm, floral, soothing, notes of spices and honey, and a completely new kind of flavor, with an addictive pull. I couldn't get away, I had no ability to pull away. The taste, the smell, the sound of the luring heartbeat, the feel of the blood running hot against warm skin. Again, I was completely torn, the two parts within me reacting in violently separate ways.

A tiny whimper fell on my cold, unhearing ears.

The fluttering in his chest became random, and slowly, it ceased. With a final dull sounding throb, he met his fate at my hands. The last of his blood slipped down my throat, and the thirst-induced-monster relented. Leaving the horror, the guilt, repulsion, and self-loathing, he hit the ground with a muffled thud. My hand was pressed over my mouth firmly, a horrified scream suppressed by my fingers. I stepped back, tears streaming freely as I buckled over at the stomach, another muffled scream bursting through my fingers.

I was trembling from head to toe, shaking, how could I have done this?

How? How? How, how, HOW?

How had I become the monster that I loathed for years?

How had I gone from my father's little angel to this?

Without another sound, I spun on my toes and ran the opposite direction, not even knowing where I was going, tears streaming down my face.

I didn't know where I was going and I didn't care, I just had to run. If I could run away from life, from hurt and loss, than I would do that to. I couldn't face what I was, what I did, who I am. Words swirled in my head, repeating like a broken record. _Monsters, freaks, murderers, ambulance please? Understand, no way, can't happen, not even human. Sixteen, got to go, can't keep the secret, never trust, uncontrollable bloodthirsty monsters…_

"STOP!" I shrieked, falling to my knees, my hands over my ears, trying to smother the noise, "Stop, please, leave me alone." I choked out between sobs.

"Ah, my angel, _cos'hai combinato_?" I blinked. He had a sorrowful expression, eyes sad, kneeling beside me. With one finger, he whisked a tear away from my eyes. He had short black hair, his eyes glinted an odd dark amber color. I recognized him, without ever seeing him before, and threw my arms around his neck.

"_Mi dispiace, mi dispiace, mi dispaice!"_ I wailed, I'm so sorry! After a pause, he carefully wound his arms around me as well.

"_Non scusarti."_ He murmured, holding me tightly, don't be sorry. "I'm so sorry for what I've done to you, _mio angela_." He muttered.

I sobbed against his shoulder miserably, my hands falling to my sides, "I c-c-couldn't st-t-top myself!" I whispered brokenly, "I k-k-killed an innocent person!"

"My fault, my fault." He said soothingly, rubbing my back, "I should have found you and helped you, my daughter, so much sooner! I am so... _proud_ of you for what you have accomplished. What you went through is terrible, but you still remain. I couldn't have expected anything like that."

I cried into his shoulder. "_Papá."_ I breathed.

_So I, I won't be the one,_

_Be the one to leave this,_

_In pieces._

_And you, you won't be alone,_

_Alone with all your secrets,_

_And regrets._

_Don't lie._

**I listened to that song on loop while writing this chapter, it's called **_**In Pieces**_** by **_**Linkin Park**_**. :P Hope you all liked the chapter, as depressing as it was! So maybe William isn't so bad, OR MAYBE IT'S ALL JUST A TRICK... but you know, that's just a maybe. Maybe I've had too much mountain dew… Review please? **

**FOR THE SAKE OF… butterscotch **

**FOT THE SAKE OF BUTTERSCOTCH, REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 15 Illumination

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 15- Illumination**

**Rebecca-**

"Come on girl, MOVE!" He shouted form somewhere to my left.

My heart hammered in my chest, sweat poured from my face, and still I kept fighting.

"You're getting trapped on your left Becca, use his weak knee to your advantage!" My father called.

A pale blur caught my eye, I snagged his fist out of the air and twisted it over my shoulder. He slammed into the ground and my foot collided with the side of his knee, as he stood up, I hit his spine with the flat of my forearm and he sprawled out on the ground.

William clapped, "Nicely done."

"Sorry, brother." I smirked and helped Luke off the ground.

"Not over till," He turned and grabbed my ankle, dragging my to the ground with a grunt, "it's over!"

His red-brown eyes glinted as we wrestled. Something connected with my stomach and I went flipping and tumbling backwards. A snarl ripped from my throat, and I lunged forward, my fist connecting with his jaw. His head snapped back, and we both crashed to the ground, his left leg kicked my right, knocking my off my toes. I threw my hands out in front of me, one of his arms snaked around my waist and lifted me up, pulled me over to his other side, and pushed me against the ground again. I tucked my knees into my stomach and rolled back, every muscle in my body bunching and arching. Like a cobra striking its prey, I shot out, my body unfolding, my legs slamming into Luke's torso, sending him flying backwards.

"Stop fighting like a mortal, you're better than that, come on!" Will yelled at me.

I felt like crying. I haven't been here long, and Will has been yelling at me the whole time, pushing me to my breaking point. He didn't care I killed someone, he said it's normal, but I know it's not. Why was my father so odd?

Luke's foot slams into my ribs, I staggered backwards, Arin and Hannah, standing to the side, already anticipating Luke's victory, were grinning.

Anger gripped me, I had always felt slightly alienated in my family. All of them were gifted, William's prodigies. No more. Flames erupted from my hands and I lunged at my brother. I saw his eyes widen as we whirled, dipping and stepping, he attempted to knock my hand to the side but ended up having his entire left arm burned. My toes hit the ground soundlessly, my arms out and ready to strike with my fire.

William was speechless.

"My… my _god_ child, you could be unstoppable!" He finally whispered.

"I already am." I said with a snarl, and moved in on Luke. He feigned left, putting all his weight on his left foot. Flames shot forward at my will, nearly catching his right leg, Luke threw himself out of the way, landing on the ground and rolling as a circle of fire closed around him. With a snarl, he was back on his feet.

"Training wheels _off._" He spit, "You're going down." His eyes flashed crimson for a split second, and then there was two of him. Then three. He could _clone_ himself. The left clone lunged, and I pulled my arm across my chest, waited, then swung it back as hard as I could, knocking the clone into the fire. It shrieked for a second or so then disintegrated.

"Ha, guess the clones just don't hold up that well, do they _brother_?" I teased.

The second melted back into the original and Luke paled a little bit. William cleared his throat. Luke sent me a forced smile, "Nice job." He said, "Still friends?"

He offered me his hand. I didn't know what to do. A second ago he and I were at each other's throats. Tentatively I shook his hand, feeling strongly that it was wrong, that someone was lying.

"Sure."

William was my father, I accepted that. He let me cry on his shoulder the night he found me. But after that he was different. It was all about being strong, being the best fighter, being prepared for the enemy, and mistrusting others. In his eyes, humans were a lesser and oppressive species. And the Volturi were a blind and useless royalty that did nothing but sit on their thrones all day. I couldn't disagree with the latter, but the former bothered me.

"Right, so Luke, now you know you have to protect your clones more carefully, if they die, you sustain some of the damage." William analyzed, "And Becca, don't be so slow to use your gift, it is there to help you for a reason."

He always did that, analyze how I fight, what I did, why I won or lost.

"Arin, how about you try fighting Becca for a change." Will pointed to my other partial brother. Arin had been bitten, and then given a cure for the venom part way through the change. His eyes were a milky grey color, with undertones of green, and he was a cold, vicious person.

Arin smirked at me and stepped forward. I already knew that he wasn't the fighter that Luke was, he relied on the packs of immortal animals William had created for him. The animals only obeyed Hannah and Arin, nobody else.

He called two large jaguars to his side, crooning at them and stroking their faces. He could speak to them, and almost brainwash them.

"Um, could we take a break?" I asked somewhat shyly.

William blinked, "Are you injured?" He frowned.

"Well… no… just tired, do you guys do anything besides train?" I asked hesitantly.

"Of course." Will cleared his throat, "We'll take a break, everyone back here at eight, sharp."

I sighed, he dismissed us like we were his troops. Arin shot me a look and passed me, pausing,

"I can take you any day." He sneered at me.

Right, I love you to brother. I thought sourly in my head. They all dispersed, wandering to various areas of Will's estate, which was huge. The amount of land he claimed was staggering, no one wanted to come anywhere near him though, so I guess it made sense.

But still, I didn't like this at all. I thought finding Will would solve my problems, but I haven't even gotten a chance to talk yet.

I stared at him, he didn't leave as my siblings did.

"Is there something you want to talk about, Becca?" He asked.

I shifted uncomfortably, "Just… why?" I managed.

"It would be difficult for you to understand, but my motivations were part of a much larger picture." He said slowly.

My hands clenched at my sides, "And my mother?"

"Ah, yes, well… she left a while ago." Will said, "I didn't expect her to make it through the change, it was a surprise." He said coolly.

"You thought my mother would die." I said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, a minor loss to create you, Becca. You see, the more '_domandians'_ I can create, spread the legend, the more power there is. Power inspires fear, and no one will challenge my rule once they clearly see that I have you. And with a gift that may as well be an unstoppable force once you can truly use it, overthrowing the Volturi will be easy." He had a predatory glint in his eyes.

"You… you… _killed_ my mother and destroyed my chance to be normal so that… you could take over the Volturi?" I was quaking slightly.

"Yes, isn't it ironic that you lived with them? Helpful though, because you can tell me all their secrets."

"No." I snapped sharply.

His eyes narrowed, sharp onyx in their color with hues of crimson. It had never occurred to me before that he hunted humans, like the Volturi, but not Carlisle. Of course, if he killed people himself, then it wouldn't matter to him that I accidently killed someone! Somehow, even though I knew it was the accepted way of life, it disturbed me to know he hunted humans.

"Excuse me?" He hissed.

"I won't help you overthrow them, they were my family." I said strongly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Ungrateful little…" He growled under his breath, "Becca, I _created_ you! I'm the reason you have this power, you will do whatever I tell you to."

Call me rebellious, but it hate it when people tell me what to do.

"I'm not doing anything for you, or anyone, any more! Not now, not ever!" I shouted at him.

What happened next was probably predictable to anyone with a good head on their shoulders. With a snarl, William lunged forward. I felt a fog grip my mind, and I couldn't move quickly enough. We slammed into the ground and he pinned me in less than a second.

"You _will_ comply." He snapped.

"I'm done listening to you!" I spit back at him, "You're not my father and you never were."

I rocked back onto the top of my spine and exploded forward, my entire lower body making contact with his stomach. We both were in the air for a split second, before we landed, my foot on his neck.

"You'll never make it out of here alive." He hissed.

"You know _nothing_ about me if you would underestimate me so severely, _father_." I sneered.

"He may have underestimated you," I whirled seeing Arin, Hannah and Luke all glowering at me coldly, Arin's line of immortal jungle cats and two wolves at his side, "But we certainly haven't." Luke smirked at me.

"Perhaps you would like to see why no one has ever picked a fight with our coven?" Hannah added chillingly.

"It's a coven, it's a _cult_, and if you think you can take me, then you'll find out why not even the Volturi could handle me." I sneered right back at her.

They all took a step forward, fanning out into a 'flying arrow' formation as I called it. William stood on the other side of me, crouched low and ready to spring. Five to one, plus animals, this was not good. And I knew it too. Luke carried a silver sword at his side, because as he had discovered, Domandians were not completely impermeable, and a sword could easily slice my skin. I needed a long range, a way to not let attackers get close to me.

The sword, which he claimed was steel, was completely unnatural. It was strong enough to prevent me from bending it or snapping it, but it could slice through my skin, hybrid skin, and not Will's. A mystery to me, I had a suspicion that it was coated with venom, what with the way it shimmered in the light.

I lunged at Luke, throwing him to the ground, my hand firmly on his sword. His hand connected my ankle and wrenched it sideway, I ripped the sword from his belt. It gleamed, flashing in the sunlight. Settling on my feet, I twirled the weapon in my hands. A snarl rumbled in Luke's throat, his dull crimson and brown eyes glowing with hatred.

"My name," I snarled, "Is Athena."

Arin's pack charged, the animals snarling and fanning out. The lead jumped forward, I whirled, the blade an extension of my arm, coated in flames as it cut through the lead jaguar. The next two came from left and right, timed perfectly as I had expected, closing my eyes, I exhaled sharply and twin pillars of fire shot from my hands, the cats crumbling, their unstable bodies dropping to dust. The wolves remained circling me as the rest of the family prepared to jump in. The grey wolf dodged my first lunge, and the black one leapt at my exposed right shoulder, I dipped, feeling the claws just brush my back. At the same time, a clone of Luke slammed into me from the left. My right hand, my sword hand, thrust towards what I thought was his center. Blood fell on my hand, and I kicked him off me. Eight to one, I gritted my teeth, after all I had fought for, all my goals… and they all turned out for nothing. For the ill conceived and blind corruption of a sick, power hungry man…

I could fight for this.

Hannah appeared behind me, grabbing my arm and throwing me down to the ground. She could 'teleport' over short distances, about ten feet. I called it 'jumping'. I whipped the sword around, but she leapt out of the way, and as the twin swirl of flame crashed towards Arin, Will slid into attacking position.

The Volturi had taught me how to deal with multiple attackers, but Pierce taught me how to read people. And I was reading a trick, loud and clear. They had practiced this, the synchronized cornering and elimination of the enemy. As William stepped forward, and I braced for his attack, Luke lunged. I turned on my heals and leapt into the air, twirling in the air, and I felt the sword neatly slice into Luke's back as his passed underneath me. He skidded along the ground, tumbling until colliding with Hannah. With a small smirk, I bowed at them tauntingly.

"All you've proved is that you can hold us off." Will hissed, "You cannot escape."

"Oh, on the contrary." I narrowed my eyes and dug deep into the tingling energy that ran through my veins, letting it seep out like water from a cracked glass. Even with my eyes closed, I heard the whoosh of strong fire, and felt the warmth swirl around me. I opened my eyes to a circle of swirling fire, around all of us. A smile pulled on my lips, I had them.

"You make a bad move, I pull this little ring of fire in, and you all turn into _ash_." I sneered hotly, "So, yes William, I do believe that I can escape, and as a matter of fact, I'll do it right now."

Will shifted, and Luke looked like he wanted to turn me to a heap of ashes, "Calm," Will put a hand on Luke's shoulder, "Let's just see how long she can keep this up."

A snarl ripped from my throat, he was right, I can't keep a flame going forever. I could already feel it pulling on my strength, Will shot me a haughty smirk. I leaned forward, Luke's sword balanced in my hand. As Hannah leaned forward I let a rush of my energy explode forward, and she went sprawling in a twisted heap of fire. She howled furiously, her leg twisted at an odd angle. Luke and Arin snarled in unison, and attacked, Luke straight on, Arin to my left. I ducked Luke and slammed my knee into his stomach, while thrusting the hilt of Luke's sword at Arin. Luke keeled over, but I missed Arin. His wolf, whom I had presumed was dead by this time, slashed into my leg from my blind spot. I shrieked, and momentarily lost my control over my fire, causing it to flicker and rage furiously.

Now, I was mad.

My free hand whipped around and slammed into Arin's jaw, hitting him just at the top of the neck and snapping his head sideways.

"I hope that paralyzed you!" I spit at him when he just lay there, groaning.

That left Luke, Will, and the black wolf who remained by Arin's side, not willing to leave, but sending me baleful glares.

"Rebecca Jennings," Will said slowly and precisely, "you _will_ obey me."

For a moment I felt a fog rush into my thoughts, and I _wanted_ to obey William. Then, feeling the anger boiling in my blood, my fire burning within me, the fog was burned away from my thoughts. My eyes narrowed, "Your tricks won't work on me."

Luke and William rushed me.

_The key to fighting with uneven numbers is to stay on the offensive_, Felix's voice said in my head, _don't give them a chance to reorganize for an attack, keep them moving, and having to constantly move away from each other to avoid your attacks. Force them away from each other, make it so that an organized attack plan is impossible_.

I sent a pillar of fire right between them, William forced to jump left, Luke to jump right. I focused on William, sending volley after volley of fire towards him as he dipped, jumped and danced out of the way. Luke, regaining his balance, skidded to a stop and immediately charged me again, splitting into four of him as he ran. I took a deep breath and placed both of my hands forward, inches from my chest. I stopped the flow of energy completely, and all my fire that still burned on the ground went out like a light. The energy reacted like closing a dam, growing and gaining strength behind it's borders. I paused for an instant, watching Luke's concentrated face as he closed in.

I thrust both hands forward, the motion releasing my energy. The result was spectacular, stronger and more beautiful than anything I had seen before. The flame shot from my hands in narrow lines, but expanded rapidly into a huge waved of heat and combustion. Slamming into Luke, the fire made a sound like an explosion, and dissipated almost instantly. Luke crumpled, his clones falling to ashes due to their unstable bodies, and he himself struggling to even get to his knees. He trembled, his eyes murderous, and… hurt, one hand clutched over him stomach, a dark crimson liquid staining his blue shirt. I did not taunt him. It was a shame, pitiful that we should have even had to fight like this.

Tactically speaking, what I had just done wasn't bright. I felt the backlash immediately throughout my body, as if my heart was beating slower, my blood circulating slower. Oxygen, I needed more air. My breathing increased, and I fell to my knees, my thoughts whirling in an incomprehensible twister. All I heard in my ears was the pounding of the blood in my ears.

My vision was blurry, but still I saw Will smirking above me. He bent down one hand taking the tip of Luke's sword and lifting it, until it rested against my neck. My hands, one on the hilt, the other at the very tip, barely provided resistance to push back. He smirked at me, pushing the sword closer to my neck, I felt the blade dig into the hand that was on the tip, and fought back a small shriek.

"Well, well, looks like you don't get to succeed after all. I should have known, your compulsive, and that my dear means you never think, just like a monkey. You see, those of us who are more intelligent think things through." He sneered condescendingly.

"Thinking takes time," I grunted back, my arms quivering, barely holding the blade from my neck, "it's better to be unpredictable."

I kicked out with my left leg and turned over, so I was on my hands and knees. The blade just grazed my neck. I pushed myself into the air and kicked out with both feet, knocking Will backwards.

I didn't look back, or try to finish the fight, I just turned and ran. Already exhausted, I couldn't fight Will again, I just hoped I could outrun him. I felt awful, shredded. All my life, I had dreamed of having a father, a family. All my time and energy spent searching so desperately for William, possibly my one living relative left, mother having dropped off the face of the earth, and not seeing my true father since I was four. I truly believed he could heal me, that all my problems would be solved. The fact that he turned out to be the monster everyone told me he was hurt more than I could say.

For the first time in my life, what I had so fiercely had pursued had been… wrong. I was wrong.

I heard running behind me, and panicked. No clue where I was going, I sprinted through the underbrush as it got thicker. _Damnit_, I thought, _this is bad on so many levels._ I spent too much time here, they can all probably track me from memory alone. I left my backpack, and there's no way in hell I'm going back to get it, to top it all off, I couldn't even start to count my injuries. Scrapes, bruises, a gash right above my knee that had completely soaked my jeans, my head was pounding, and it felt like the earth was tipping to one side.

The ground, far north in Maine, near the border of the United States and that of Canada, was frozen and frost coated everything. Ahead of me, the brush began to lessen, and I prayed for a town, or a village, or anything, because William, couldn't he _wouldn't_ go near humanity right now. He hadn't hunted in a very long time.

My heart dropped, my feet skidded, desperately trying to stop my run. The ground dropped off, in a sheer cliff descending to cold dark waters, as a river winded through the landscape. I turned, Will had slowed to a jog, and his eyes followed my every movement like a predator corning his prey. I backed up a step, but the next brought a lack of ground at my heel, and I heard the edge crumble underneath my foot. I froze.

I hate water. Hate it worse than cats hate it. On top of that, the black water didn't look to warm, or deep for that matter.

"What are you waiting for?" Will teased, "Go on, _jump_."

I wanted to cry. He never cared, at all… he had tricked me.

"What the hell." I muttered to myself. What else was there? Terrified as I was of the fall, there was nothing left for me to do, no other options. I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned back, my arms out. I tried not to think as I felt the air rush past me, but prayed silently that the river _was_ in fact deep, and not like the wide, shallow rivers that once ran by the village of my homeland.

"_Dio mi salvi," _I murmured, feeling my hair whipped around me as I fell, _"Mi dispiace, per tutto…"_

For a moment, I was completely relaxed, and just floating, eyes closed, thoughtless. Then, I hit the water. It was colder than I remember the water in the Channel being. I plunged deep, the water swirling around me, air bubbles frothing to the surface.

**Alice-**

"No." It was a gasp. The book I was holding clattered to glass table. No, no, no… this wasn't possible. I could see the future just a second ago, he wasn't even close to wavering!

"Alice?" Jasper nervously at my side, his hand on my shoulder.

"She's… she's gone," I sputtered, shocked and taken by surprise, a feeling that I rarely experienced. And I was thankful for that, because it was a cold and scary feeling.

"What?" "Who's gone?" "Alice?" "What's happening?" "Is anyone harmed?" "_Alice!"_

A series of questions blurted out rapid fire pulled me from my haze, as I was desperately prying the future, and drawing a blank.

"Bella." I managed. "She's…" I had to take a deep breath before I could finish my sentence, "her future… it's gone."

There was a chilling silence, dragging out endlessly, each click of the clock becoming elongated. The six that passed seemed like an eternity.

"I need a phone." I muttered, but I couldn't make myself move. "I _need_ a _phone!"_ I snapped, louder this time. Rose spun, and her tiny cell was in my hands. A number I had never called before, but remembered perfectly, flashed in my memory and my hands blurred over the number. I rubbed my temples numbly, unable to see past the hazy grayness.

It rung, and rung, and rung, I hoped she realized I was going insane on the other end of the line.

Pick up, damnit!

"H-hello?" Ever tentative, ever quiet, Bella's voice finally answered after the click of her telephone.

"Oh, Bella thank god, I thought…" I trailed off.

"Uh, c-can… I talk to Carlisle?"

I wasn't sure if she had asked it to me, or if I had simply foreseen it, but either way, I handed Carlisle the phone. Stressed, I was incredibly stressed, beyond belief. The irrational fear that came with not knowing drove me positively insane. Nervously, I paced around, watching Carlisle, his shocked expression finally breaking and he spoke rapidly, his own left hand rubbing his temples. Stress. So thick and heavy it might has well have been breathable in the air. Even Emmett was stiff in his posture, eyes darting back and forth. It would have been easier for him if the 'danger' was something material that could have been taken care of. Instead, he, and all of us were here, whilst our sister and brother were far away, and I had no idea if they were okay.

"Ah… well… I see, well son, I think…" Carlisle muttered rapidly, paler if that was possible, "Yes, I understand however my opinion would be that she may very well be…" He seemed to have been cut off. I heard my brother's voice, strained, but could not make out the words. "Look, that doesn't matter!" He interrupted, "What needs to be done is clear, and as soon as possible. You can do nothing but help her now, and be considerate to how she feels. I'll contact the airport immediately." He said and then with a small, "Be careful." He hung up.

"Well?" I demanded.

He pressed his lips together in a tight line. Esme wrapped her arms around his shoulders, "Carlisle?"

"Bella is… pregnant."

Gasps rang out, my jaw dropped, Rosalie's eyes widened, Dylan looked like someone had just told him the sky was orange, Jasper stiffened by my side, Esme looked scared, and Emmett simply had… nothing, no expression, like he was still trying to wrap his head around the information.

"It's… well… Bella…" Carlisle struggled to form words, "It's growing faster than a normal fetus would. I think it's a hybrid." He finally managed. "I… I have no idea… what… to do, what _can_ be done." He distressed. "I've never even... heard of... _hybrids_ before!"

"Yes!" Dylan said suddenly, "Yes you have."

Carlisle's expression changed, a spark of intuition. "You're right, Alice… Bella, Edward and I all met her." He frowned, his eyes flickering back and forth, searching through his memories. His face fell. "No one's seen her sense..."

"Alice?" Esme asked.

"I stopped looking a long time ago." I said, arms folded over my chest, "After everyone told me to."

"Please look now, for Bella?"

"Of course, jeez, I never said I wouldn't." I muttered.

"You're a genius!" Emmett rubbed his knuckles against Dylan in a older-brother kind of way. He smiled a bit, to himself.

"Oh no," I moaned miserably, "it's not… it won't help. Damnit!"

"Alice?" Jasper asked nervously, his eyes boring into mine.

"She's… I don't know where she is but it's not somewhere I know, there's no way for me to find here. It's just a river, that's all I see, she could be anywhere." I said, my head in my hands. "Oh, Bella, what do we do now?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Anywhere, can't you-"

"NO! I _can't_!" I snapped, "Believe it or not my visions aren't as simple as simply willing myself to see the future and then, bang! Seeing exactly what I want and need to see! It doesn't _work like that_!"

"Then… I'll have to…" Carlisle's frown deepened and he sank unsteadily into the arm chair next to him, "There's no other option." He murmured.

"No other option except what?" Rosalie demanded.

"I have to… she could…" He stopped, and his eyes looked tortured, "I can't let it kill her."

"No." Rosalie whispered.

"I have to operate, remove the fetus."

"NO!" Rosalie screamed, "That's killing a baby! What none of us can ever have!"

"It will _kill_ her, Rose, there's no other option!"

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" She shouted and stormed out, Emmett followed her after a short pause. Carlisle sank back against the chair, and Esme tried to comfort him. Jasper hugged me tightly against him, the after waves of shock and hurt reverberating in the air.

**Rebecca-**

My arm burned, my legs burned, my head ached. I felt weak, felt the venom flaring up, and searing through my veins.

It was just as bad as the first time, after the _licantroppos_, but it didn't last as long. I can't tell you where I was during the 'attack', all I remember was the burning feeling, but I know that I practically collapsed afterwards, somewhere on a river bank.

I must have slept for a straight day.

Slowly, I felt myself crawling back. Like I was in darkness and scrambling to find a way out. I gasped for breath, and air whistled down to my lungs like I had not truly breathed in a long time.

"It lives." I heard a voice chuckle. I leapt up, aiming to place my feet directly underneath me and land square, balanced and poised for whatever attack was surely coming. But blood rushed to my head, and I felt the world spin around beneath me. Basically, I fell flat on my face in a very… ungraceful way. Somebody caught me.

"Easy, easy there kiddo, I'm not going to hurt you." He, the voice had a deep baritone sound to it, said with another laugh. He was a good foot taller than me, messy blond hair that hung in his face a little. His eyes were a dark onyx, but he looked like he laughed a lot, a sort of kind, happy glow emanating from his expression.

Sadly, that wasn't nearly enough to get me to relax. I twirled away from him and put ten feet between us. His lip twitched in amusement,

"Ah, how foolish of me to forget to introduce myself!" He chuckled, "My name is Garrett." He extended his hand.

I said nothing. Mostly, because I was deciding on what name to use this time, and because I doubted my ability to ever place my trust in anyone ever again. He tilted his head to one side cautiously.

"You… you were unconscious for six days." He said slowly, frowning. With great difficulty, I kept my face blank, but I was shocked, and memories of the burning lapped at my mind. His eyes flickered up to mine, and then back to the side, "Somehow, your heart wasn't beating for two days, but it started again, I don't know how. You… screamed. Like you were, well… honestly, like you'd been bitten." His voice was concerned.

I clenched my jaw. "I appreciate your concern," I began to say through my teeth,

"Oh, and you have an accent." He interrupted. I glowered.

"But I would appreciate it if you stopped prying." I finished.

He frowned, "Ms, my parents raised me to never let a lady travel alone. It is completely unacceptable." He smiled sheepishly, "Plus, I'm bored."

"That's nice." I grumbled, then it occurred to me, "When… how old are you?"

"Hmm… don't know exactly." He tapped his chin, "I grew up during the Revolutionary War…"

"Which one?" I asked, tilting my head to one side.

"M-my… my dear, there was only one!" He said, distressed, "Do you feel ill?"

"No." I said indignantly, "And there have been multiple Revolutions throughout Europe and the world, France, Iran, Yemen, the upheaval of Spain, the overthrowing of the government in Russia before World War II..." I could have gone on.

"I meant America."

I narrowed my eyes, "Ah. Typical, narrow-minded Americans consider that the only Revolution in history was their _own_."

"Such a pretty girl, such harmful words." Garrett sighed with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"There's just no getting rid of you, is there?" I sniffed bitterly. He smirked,

"No one knows this continent better than me, Ms!" He chirped happily, "Just point the way you want to go."

"West." I huffed and started walking down the river bank. Garrett cleared his throat and I stopped, glowering at him impatiently. He smiled a little,

"West is _that_ way." He pointed in the opposite direction.

Cursing under my breath, I stalked back towards Garrett and poked him in chest with one finger, giving him my best death-stare,

"Listen _bloodsucker_," I hissed, "I don't trust you, I don't like you, and if it were up to me I would never travel with you. But it seems I have no choice. So let's get one thing straight, _I'm in charge_, and you will not hunt when I am around. I like my blood inside my body, _capisci?_" I frowned at him.

Oddly, he bursts out laughing. Not just laughing, but cracking up hysterically.

"Alright, alright…" He managed after a while, "Just, let's just start this whole thing off with your name."

I sniffed. "Reah." I finally decided. I had seen a girl on television, in some odd show where everyone seemed to believe that ghosts were real, there was a character named Rebecca. Her friends called her just Re **(pronounced R-ee, as in See)** and then her 'ghost' called her Reah **(Ree-ah-)**. So, being as my name _was_ Rebecca, and that was probably one of the _only_ cartoons I'd seen in my life, I thought it fit well.

Garrett chuckled, "Whatever you say, Dollie."

"Don't call me that!" I snapped as he started walking a generally Westward direction.

This will be a long journey.

**Mwa-haha… okay, so Garrett is a happy go lucky who is just the kind of person who could drive Rebecca insane right now. Yes, she's distant, yes she's pig-headed, violent, childish, and overall… angry, but hey- if your dad turned out to be a psycho, you would be upset to. **

**Sorry for not updating, I realize it's been ten days but I was visiting my Aunt… who now has cute little twin girls! SQUEE! So, yeah, I got distracted by cute babies. Can you really blame me?**

**WOOOO… Rebecca's going west! Ah, the west, wonder what's in the West. ;)**

**Review? I'll give you a huggggg….**


	17. Chapter 16 Unlikely Partners

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 16- Unlikely Partners**

**Rebecca-**

Oddly, I half expected to wake up with my throat torn out the next morning. Something in Garrett's black eyes made it impossible for me to trust him. However, when I woke up he was exactly in the same place as I had asked him to stay when I sent him my last skeptical glower and attempted to find sleep. I rolled over onto my stomach, and propped my chin up on my hands. He returned my stare with that same mischievous, childish, smile that had annoyed me about one hundred times or so already. My 'bed' had been a patch of flat ground safely away from the river bank, and Garrett had loaned me his jacket for a pillow. At first, I declined, because I simply didn't want him to think that we could actually be traveling partners. But I found that the ground beneath me was stubbornly hard, and finally caved. I stared at him, studying I guess you could say. He was tall, lanky, but young looking, despite being around two hundred and thirty years old. He had an oddly playful view on life, doing challenging and odd tasks, going on out of the way 'adventures' as he called them, simply for the sake of trying something new.

The corner of his mouth twitched, "Are you done analyzing?" He asked cheerily.

I sniffed and sat up, stretching a bit and then sitting cross legged, my palms on my knees, "For now." I admitted, "You'll come to understand that I don't trust easily."

"Actually," He stood up, "I already have. You don't give me much credit Ms. Reah."

"I give credit when credit is earned." I said evenly. He laughs again. Garrett is so cheerful and amused all the time, I think he would be perfect for a sweet kind of girl, maybe a bit shy, but a girl who loves her family, and horses and all that blah, blah, blah.

He smiled again. "So, we have some options." He begins, using the word 'we' again.

"Hmm, I suppose _we_ do." I tossed back at him. He chuckles,

"Well, there is territory to think about." He continued, "We're getting close to the Great Lake area, which is controlled by six rather angry brothers." He rubbed his chin, "Canada is a safer and smarter route… but you would need more suitable clothing."

He looked down at me, eyes looking up and down at my tattered and ripped jeans, the left leg still covered in dark, dried blood, and my dirt spattered, sweat covered blue shirt that had one sleeve torn off.

"Well, I can't exactly go shopping. Any decent store would throw me out for looking like a murder suspect." I sighed sadly.

He ruffled my hair, "Well _I_ don't think you look that terrible!" I felt two things. An urge to tear his hand off and throw him for touching me, and at the same time… I want to hug him, want him to hold me and tell me that everything will be fine.

I blinked.

"Er, thanks." I managed to splutter semi-coherantly. Sighing, I turned and looked at the horizon. "Canada it is them." I whispered, mostly to myself, but of course he heard me.

We started 'jogging', what would be a jog for our kind. He sweeps closer to my left, "I'm curious." He starts.

"That's what they always say before the trouble starts…" I muttered darkly, sending him a serious expression before smirking and suppressing laughter.

He stops, and looks at me levelly, "Reah, just… well… just be honest with me." He begins, my stomach turns in anxiety. I see his eyes focus on the four jagged lines that tough the edge of my cheek, and drag across my neck, and shoulder. His eyes flickered to the swirling patterns of burns on my palms, and then finally to the dried blood that had soaked my jeans. "Well… uh…"

"Spit it out." I sighed, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Well, shit, Reah, I just wanna know the truth." He finally blurts out.

And that's the one thing I can't afford to give him. I gritted my teeth, "I'm sorry Garrett…" I started to say.

"Sorry?" He demanded, his voice sharp and angry, for the first time. It stung a bit, and I couldn't understand why, "You're sorry? Because, why? Because you can't tell me? Or because you won't? Is this still about trust?"

That hurt more. I couldn't look at him. Maybe it was trust, or maybe it was something about me that was missing. With all the unstable genetics, there was probably more than one thing wrong with me. I had always thought that emotional stability may very well be one, I found it impossible to _talk_ about how I feel. Well… it was hard for me to think about feelings as well, like it was an off-limits subject. Any kind of emotion, sadness, confusion, loneliness, any negative one like that could just set me off. And so I was not like a normal teenage girl who simply called her best friend and sobbed on the phone line for hours. I either forced it down, or… completely exploded. Garrett looked at me expectantly.

"I… I… _want_ to… to tell you." I said slowly, "I don't know if I can, if I'm capable without losing my mind." I muttered.

Garrett sighs, but it's a softer sound. "I'm sorry for snapping at you… you're just… just… just _so damned closed off_, all the time!"

A hysterical laugh bubbled from my lips and he looked at me like I was crazy. I exhale loudly, "Ah, there you are right. But, alas, if I managed to tell you without wanting to kill myself, you would think I was so insane you might kill me yourself." I chuckled darkly. Garrett looked confused. "Well, I suppose I can give you this," I relented a bit, "My name is Rebecca, it's a pleasure to meet you." I said carefully, and extended my hand towards him.

After a pause, in which I counted five of my own heartbeats, he meets my hand and then unexpectedly pulls me closer. His other arm hooking around my back stiffly, and he let out a shuddering breath,

"By George," He muttered, "You are weird!"

I stepped back from his embrace and laughed. "So, you're not angry?"

He gasped in fake shock, "You _care?_ About… _me?"_ He stammered theatrically, "Why… this is unprecedented! Unbelievable!"

"Oh, shut it." I cut him off. He laughed and ruffled my hair,

"Okay, so where _exactly_ are we headed now that you're at least being semi-honest with me, _Rebecca?_" He asked.

"Well… I'm thinking of paying someone a visit." I said, letting my mind drift back, a long time ago, or so it seemed, to a small tea shop, and talk about morals.

"Who is this someone?" He elbowed me,

"A friend."

We continued on at a slow pace for a very long time, sweeping north along the eastern border of the 'six brothers'. After a while Garrett began humming the American national anthem. I shook my head, what an odd character. It wasn't too long then until my stomach growled. I looked down at it, slightly surprised. Garrett nearly ran straight into me, and stepped quickly to my left, looking at me expectantly. My stomach made a gurgling noise. He burst out laughing.

"Oh." I finally managed, "I'm hungry."

Garrett nearly collapsed next to me, laughing so hard, "Can you not tell when you're hungry?" He chuckled.

"It's never been a problem for me!" I snapped, "I don't usually get hungry…" Oddly, I'd gone days without eating before, five or six now that I think about it. I cocked my head to one side, "I don't always… need food…"

"Well… that's weird. What are you?" He blurted out.

"Dunno." I shrugged, my stomach growled again. Garrett frowned,

"Well… I think there might be… blueberry patches around here somewhere." He mumbled, glancing around,

"Blueberries, or poisonous-kill-you-if-you-so-much-as-sniff-them berries?" I asked.

"Dunno." He shrugged.

I glanced back up at him, what an odd relationship. Here was someone who stumbled upon a stranger and decided, for no particular reason, to help them, keep them company. He was everything I wasn't, loud, impulsive, silly, and always cracking jokes. We made the oddest pair I'd ever heard of, a centuries old vampire, and a sixteen year old partial-mortal. To top that off, we barely knew anything about each other and I didn't even trust him yet! Then there was the fact that I was still partially human, I needed fresh clothes because I would sweat during the day when it got hot. We often had to stop by rivers so I could get some water to drink, Garrett made faces as I drank. He said that water was slimly. Ridiculous, two practical opposites, but we still traveled together.

Partly because I couldn't get rid of him, partly because I didn't want to.

"Oi, you listening Italy?" Garrett waved his hand in my face. I blinked.

"Yeah… what'd you say?" I asked. Great, I tell him my _real_ name and he calls me _Italy_.

He sighs, "Well, there's a… town, I think, not far from here, I can smell it. I got some money, I think the currency is still the same as it was a few decades back. We can get some gear, clean clothes, and… food, I guess." He tacked on the last part while wrinkling his nose.

"Currency in this country changes?" I sniffed, Italian currency was the Euro, of course, and that had been the same for a _long_ time.

"Yeah, you want food or something?"

"Oh, HELL yes." I almost shouted.

Now, I'm no sewer rat, but I almost melted when I finally got to sink my teeth into the hamburger in front of me. Like it was the last beverage on the Earth, I snagged the soda in front of me and gulped down three huge slurps.

"Whoa, slow down! Jeez, it's like you're not even breathing!" Garrett laughed under his breath. I took another bite of the burger and glowered at him. I put the burger back on the big white plate for the first time since it was put in front of me. Garrett's smile drooped, his laugh broke up a little, a bit nervous. My glower had that effect on everyone. I wiped my hands together and leaned back in the booth, now, just staring at him.

"I can hold my breath for about four minutes." I said pensively after a pause, the words falling from my mouth as they came to my mind. All _living_ creates needed three main things, food, water, and air. I lived, or… I was alive. But, I could go so much longer without those three things than any human could or should be able to.

Garrett's face hardened, "What?" He almost hissed.

I nodded, "Or there about… I can survive on less oxygen, I've been up at higher altitudes and not been affected by the thin air at all." I mused. Garrett cocked his head to one side.

"Continue…" He said absently.

"I'm not a science experiment." I snapped indignantly.

"Please?"

"Fine."

And so we talked, for a long, long time. The night musical act that had arrived some time after we got to the diner announced this was to be his last song.

I smiled, "Any other questions?"

"About a million." He admitted with a smile. I couldn't help but to laugh,

"Okay, shoot."

"Are there any others like you?"

I felt my smile disappear. My arms folded defensively across my chest, thoughts of my 'siblings' bubbled up. My lip curled over my teeth, and I glowered down to the left, Garrett shifted uncomfortably on the other side of the booth.

"_Sí_." I finally said, "There are others."

He stood up and slid back into the booth on my side. "I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and hugged me, but I barely even felt it. Flashes of Luke's face, contorted in fury, teeth bared, danced across my eyes. I shuddered involuntarily. It wasn't fear… I didn't _fear_ him, per say, but… it just felt wrong. He was my brother, genetically, flesh and blood, and yet we fought like we could and would kill each other. There was a point where I would have killed him to, and surely he would me if given the chance.

It just felt wrong.

"It's a bit… well, a lot actually, complicated." I sighed, "See, we were… created… and he, well, he could sort of, brainwash them." Sadness, that dark internal sigh where you look down and realize that things just aren't in place, and you can't set them right. "And I wanted to meet them, I'd felt alone for my entire life. The desire, it blinded me. I was just so happy and relieved to meet them that I didn't see… well, look deeper." I murmured, wringing my hands. "He nearly had me. He nearly brainwashed me, but I could feel it in my bones… the way he had us fighting each other, siblings fighting, just wasn't… _right_. When he realized I was seeing the truth, and I realized it, he…"

And that was the worst thing. The hardest part. I had _believed_ in him, he made _me_ believe _in myself_, and gave me a family. It was just that… it was a lie. "He had them attack me, and I had to fight all of them off. It should have been so easy… my gift is terribly extraordinary, but… I couldn't look family in the eye and kill them." I sighed. "So, I jumped."

"The river." Garrett nodded in understanding. I nodded blankly.

"Yeah."

"That was different for you." Garrett stated, it wasn't a question.

"With where I was raised," I avoided saying exactly who raised me, "when you are cornered, you have two options. Kill your attacker, or let them kill you. I never considered… simply stepping away from a fight before, it was kind of… scary." I admitted.

Garrett hugged me tightly again. "I'm sorry you had the worst luck of anyone I know." He muttered.

I snorted, "If luck were to do with it I'd be far better off."

"Perhaps." He nodded, and then clapped his hands together, "You done inhaling disgusting amounts of grease and salt?" He joked

I punched his shoulder, "It's called a hamburger." I chuckled as we slid out of the booth. Garrett fished two gold coins out his pocket. "Uh… Garrett…" I started to say, but he placed the gold on the table and started to walk away.

He smiled and winked at our waitress before we walked out into the dark little town, "I find that if you overpay, people ask less questions." He said with a charming smile.

"You wanna try that again?" I asked, "Just 'cause I still need some new clothes."

He winked at me, "Sure thing Italy." I smacked the back of his head playfully. We walked down the streets at a slow human pace. My shoes had holes in them, the laces were torn, my jeans practically falling apart, my tee-shirt dirty and ripped. I realized something, I had nothing.

Nothing, I had nothing at all.

All my material possessions were lost when I escaped from William, everything I had built up, collected. Gone. All of it. Every, single, material, thing was gone.

And yet, I didn't care.

It couldn't have mattered less, because I was happy here without any of those things. Happiness wasn't things, it was people, places, memories. I gazed around, at the mother sitting on the steps in front of her house. Her son ran around in front of her, as she traced numbers in the dirt with a stick. The small boy laughed loudly and held up his tiny, dirt covered fingers, four, like the number the mother had drawn. She smiled, a tiny, tired, smile. He sat down on the ground, and his mother bent down and scooped him up.

I whistled a tune under my breath. Life isn't about having things, or knowing things, it's about _living_ and _being_ and experiencing as much as possible before your time on earth is over.

Garrett looked down at me, "You look like you had an epiphany." He stated. I nodded happily and continued to hum to myself. "Care to share that tune?"

I glanced around, I've never actually 'sung' with people around before, but since no one was around… I mouthed the words, under my breath.

The first time I heard it I was wandering around outside the school yard with a few friends. One of the students was playing it on his car stereo, the windows rolled down, a few of his friends gathered around the car. The lyrics, though in English, meant a lot to me.

The song wasn't particularly musical, a bit like rap, but so much more emotional and heartfelt, easily flowing and deeply meaningful.

"Every man who knows a thing knows he knows not a damn, damn thing at all." I felt my steps pop lightly with the beat in my head, "And every time I felt the hurt and I felt the givin' gettin' me up off the wall." I let my steps lift, and twirled in place,

"I'm just gonna take minute, and let it ride. I'm just gonna take a minute and let it breeze." I finished, it wasn't really singing, more like speaking with rhythm and a musical color, a lift to the voice.

"No offense," Garrett started, "it was beautiful when _you_ sang, but ah… I think I'll stick to the classics." He shrugged.

"The Beattles?" I asked curiously.

"Ah… no. My dear, the classics in my definition are the great composers of my lifetime." He smirked. I wacked his arm,

"Impolite!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, I just bought you dinner!" He defended, palms up.

"True… ah, and here we are, clothes!" I clapped my hands with fake excitement. Garrett rolled his eyes, "Oh, chill, all I need is two pairs of pants, two shirts, a jacket and a backpack to carry all of it." I sniffed.

"That's a lot." He muttered.

"Not to live off of, if that's everything, it's barely anything." I pointed out. Garrett mad a 'hmm' sound of agreement. A bell dinged loudly as we walked in, and the store clerk poked her head out from the desk. She was about fifty looking, a measuring tape around her neck, and a thick pair of glasses sat on her nose. I stopped, a little cautious, I probably looked like I could pass for a mass-murderer.

"Can I help you?" She asked, her eyes darting around. I guessed she couldn't see very well and relaxed a bit.

"No ma'am, we're just fine." I said smoothly. Garrett wrinkled his nose and walked by her a little quicker than I thought he would. I chuckled to myself a bit when I realized why. I sniffed at the air curiously, at felt that strange burn again. Guilt snaked around me, I had killed someone. Killing doesn't just go away, but I had it mostly under control now. There was still a thirst, but it was more like an irritating soreness than a desperate need.

In the end, I ended up with two pairs of plain jeans, two black shirts, and a dark blue backpack. Garrett looked at me curiously, "You certainly lover color, don't you?" He teased.

"I prefer to blend in, rather than make a statement." I countered. He smirked and held out a pair of black boots that looked like they would reach just above my ankle, strapping on the side. They reminded me of the combat boots I had, that were falling apart.

"Same size." He invited, shaking them a bit, like they were a tennis ball and I was a retriever.

"They look comfortable enough…" I said slowly, it was tempting.

"Then it's a done deal!" Garrett walked right over to the counter, the clothes and backpack in hand. He dropped a pile of gold on the counter, and walked right out. I wanted to laugh. It was ridiculous, and at the same time, it suited him.

I have to say, the ground was a lot more comfortable that night. Maybe it was because I had the backpack as a pillow, or that my clothes weren't stiff with dirt. Maybe. Or maybe it was just because I was happier.

We camped out just north of Montana, in the Canadian providence of Alberta. After three failed attempts by Garrett to start a fire, I finally cut him a break and created one of my own. He looked amazed for a second, then he burst out laughing. He nearly fell over, which made me laugh. I leaned against a large log that we had based our camp around. Luke's sword was still hooked to the loop of my jeans. I unsheathed it and stared at the dark blade and lay on my stomach, propped up on my elbows, the sword laying across my palms.

"What is that for?" Garrett asked after he stopped laughing. "Won't do you much good."

I turned it over in my hand, light from the fire dancing off the black metal, "Actually, it can cut through _my_ skin… just not yours." I said slowly. "I don't know why, but I can't bend it, or break it…"

"Interesting. May I see?" I handed Garrett the blade, which he grasped firmly in his hand. Experimentally, he weighed it, then lifted it in one hand about of foot above his exposed right arm. In a flash, he brought it down on his skin.

"Garrett!" I shrieked, terrified that my new friend had just cut off his own arm. Sparks flew, and there was an awful high-pitched grinding noise like that of metal-on-metal. He held out his arm so I could see, there was no damage. This I expected. Then he held out Luke's sword.

The black metal was perfectly unscathed, no marks, dents, scratches or hints of bending. We both stared at in awestruck for a few seconds.

"Fabulous." Garrett exclaimed, "It appears to be about the same toughness of _my_ skin, but tougher than _yours_."

"Yeah, fabulous." I grumbled. A chilling howl cut through the night, causing me to shudder instinctually.

There was a distant thudding noise, and a loud click.

I sat bolt upright. How close had the click been? Garrett must have been thinking the same thing because he was on his feet as well. I suddenly became bitter, how long could I go without having some kind of disaster.

There was a distant echoing bang, which for someone reason had me running straight towards it. The sound of two twin heartbeats echoed in my ears. Garrett was behind me, quickly catching up, for he and all full-immortals were faster than me. I had scars that severed as painful reminders of this fact.

In a clearing, I came to a sudden stop, my heart breaking at the sight before me. A human hunter, with a black gun slung over his shoulder, sauntered towards a fallen creature. A grey wolf lay in the tall grass not far from me; I was closer to it than the hunter. She was not dead, but bleeding heavily from her shoulder, a sharp whine coming constantly from her muzzle with each breath. Unknown to the hunter, her pup cowered a few feet away, hidden behind a fallen branch.

He approached the mother, and smirked a bit, no doubt proud of his new prize. My stomach rolled, I hated this particular human 'sport'. The poor animal could not serve the hunter in death! He simply mounted it's head on his wall to humiliate the natural world. The pup made a sudden barking noise as the hunter neared its mother. His eyes fell on the adorable ball of fluffy black fur. I saw his thoughts reflected in his irises.

In a flash I stepped between the fallen mother with her pup and the hunter. "Italy!" Garrett hissed behind me.

A wind came from behind me, blowing my hair out in front of my face, I felt jeans cling to the back of my legs, and my unzipped black jacket drifted away from my chest, wrapping tightly around my back. With my purple eyes, and unnaturally smooth features, I imagine I quiet confused the man. The rifle was still pointed at the mother, though I was between it and her. With one hand, I grasped the end of the barrel, and crushed it in my palm. It shattered.

"You will not take the lives of living creatures _ever again_." I hissed under my breath, "They have every right to life that you do. In fact, in my eyes, you are a lesser creature to _them_. They are fit, graceful, intelligent, which is much more than I can say for you and your kind. You will _not_ hurt these creatures. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?" I finished, snarling through the last couple of words.

He looked like he wanted to start screaming for his mom, paled, and bolted for the woods where he had a motor bike waiting.

I turned to the wolves, sadly glancing at the mother. She was beautiful, her grey fur bristling in the wind, but I could hear her heart failing. I kneeled beside her and pulled the one thing I had saved from my time with William out of my backpack. A gold cross. I placed it between my hands and muttered a quick blessing, something that I had never done before. But seeing such a beautiful and natural creature so broken made me feel it was the least I could do. I could have sworn she looked at me as I heard the last beat of her heart.

The pup howled.

"Aw," I murmured, "Come here, little baby, shush, it's okay baby." I cooed in a very un-me way. The pup crawled, in an imbalanced, blindly stumbling way, into my outstretched arms. The wolf snuggled right up against the crook of my neck, licking my cheek.

"Erm… Italy…" Garrett started nervously.

"What?" I demanded.

"Well, it's just that I don't think, uh, pets, are the best idea seeing my… uh… dietary habits." He crinkled his nose at my pup, who cringed back towards me.

"It's okay, just Garrett." I whispered in her fuzzy ear.

"Italy! We can't travel with a… _dog_!" Garrett spluttered, "It can't run like us, it has to eat several times a day, it needs _water, food, shelter, warmth, _it… it needs to sleep and _gah!_" He managed, exasperated.

I glowered at him, "I'm keeping her." I said fiercely, "I can't leave a cute little pup here to die without its mother. I have a water bottle, I don't eat or drink that much nowadays anyway. She can have it." I said. Garrett blinked, and I saw the change in his eyes. Maybe he knew he couldn't argue with me, maybe he didn't really care. Or maybe he thought it would be good for me. Either way, he said,

"Fine. I guess it'll make things interesting."

I smiled, and cradled the tiny fur ball in my arms, cooing softly in her ears until she fell asleep.

**Alice POV-**

Tension filled the room.

"Alright." Emmett hauled the tall lanky boy into the center of the 'meeting' room. Edward and Bella wouldn't be able to hear us, thus, she could not object. "Explain." He hissed darkly.

"Hey, I'm trying to help! I could've just let the rest of the pack tear you apart, but I came back to w-"

"Warn us!" Rosalie demanded, "If you hadn't obsessively come to visit Bella, they wouldn't have heard your thoughts and even know. If not for _you_ Bella and the rest of us wouldn't be in danger at all!" Rose snapped. She looked like she wanted to rip the boy apart right then and there. I didn't exactly disagree with that feeling, this boy had brought danger to my family.

Jacob Black. He had just put Bella's life in danger, set an angry pack of wolves against my family, and taken away my ability to see if we would be alright. Furious could describe the way I was feeling, Jasper wrapped his arms around my stomach and I felt a little calmer. Not 'calm' though, simply not as murderous. Because Jasper, bless his heart, was still thinking clearly. He knew if we killed the mongrel, the wolves would still come to attack us. We needed the dog to be alive.

"Jacob," Carlisle said calmly, "You've put our family into a terrible situation, though I know you may not care. You've also but _Bella_ in an extremely dangerous position." He said slowly, "I won't allow my family to be put in danger, thus, I need you to be cooperative and tell me everything you know about the situation." The last few words had a sharp tint to them that I rarely heard from Carlisle. His eyes were narrowed into a harsh cold glare that didn't belong, it transformed his entire being. He didn't look like the caring father I knew, he looked like a fierce protector. I suppose this is what happens when you stress a family to its 'death point' literally.

Jacob, who had his hands up in surrender, eyes still flickering to Emmett, who was inches from snapping the mutt's neck, quickly and smartly explained everything.

Mutts. A mutt is helping us!

Gah! This will be an odd partnership.

**Ta-dee-do-dee-da-da-ly-da! ****Hehe... hehe... he... *cough* soooo, anyways, there you go! Another chapter in the same week! Two chapters, two days, I'm on a rooollllll! :) Review if you like it! **

**Shout out to my faithful reviewer; Sand n' Sable, who asked me last chapter if the Garrett I mentioned in this and the last chapter was the same as the one in the books. Yes, as a matter o' fact he is! Maybe some of you noticed that I like to take characters who are 'minor' in the book and place them in major roles, flesh out their character, tell their story and give them a little more personality. I hope I've done this in a way that makes sense and in a way that sheds a little more light on who these people are in the story even though we don't really get to know them. A few examples of my attempt to bring light to minor characters and make them more important in my plot are; Jane, Heidi, Vladmir, Stefan, Demitri, and of course, my two 'major' formally minors, Felix and Garrett.**

**Hope you liked it.**

**With every chapter we get closer to Washington! Reviews speed up the process…**


	18. Chapter 17 Destination

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 17- Destination**

**Rebecca:**

I woke up to Garrett excitedly shaking my shoulder. "Ungh!" I managed, "_Cazzo_, Garrett, it's too early in the morning."

"Ah, but it's not!" The sound of softly strumming music reached my ears. Groggily, I looked up and saw Garrett with a guitar sitting on his lap. His smile was huge, like he'd just won the lottery.

"What, can you play?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

"No, but you can." He smirked. I gawked,

"How… what… how'd you know?"

"You sleep talk." He shrugged.

"Awww… Gar, I'm not even that good!"

He just smiled, and that alone was making my day not so bad.

And so went my travels with Garrett. We had a magnificent time together, with my limited musical skills and his taste for folk music as well as classical, it made for many humorous times. With Garrett's help, I learned I had a flair for the quick-paced, folk, up-beat tunes of Celtic music that my father used to play around our house. Not two days later, Garrett mysteriously acquired a violin, and we began spending hours at night in a duo of string instruments, Garrett would strum away at the guitar, and I would play the violin. Loudly, obnoxiously and as fast as we possibly could without sounding truly terrible, we played away around a fire. Just for amusement, as though we were showing off to other people, we would switch instruments throughout a piece, effortlessly tossing them across our circle, over the bonfire we never failed to make each night.

Over time, I learned how to play the violin like the masters I envied, the masters of Celtic music. Mairead Nesbitt had always been an idol of mine, her skills on any string instrument, as well as her fantastic voice had fascinated me. My mother had grown up in Ireland, and moved to England where she and my father met. They then moved to Italy before I was born. My mother brought the wonderful sounds of her music with her, and left it with my father who raised me.

Garrett would stand up and strum away, twirling in cricles and hopping in an odd yet completely natural and smooth dance. Often, he would tap out a rhythm in the dirt for me with his foot, and I would play to the rhythm, him increasing tempo as part of a game to see how fast I could play. He taught me to play short-notes, and told hilarious stories of his disastrous violin lessons many centuries ago when he was a child.

My pup slowly grew, until she was barely fit in my arms, her legs to long for the rest of her body. She would stumble sometimes, trip over her own paws. I had named her Savel (sah-vel) which sounds like a variation of the Italian word for 'saved'. Garrett had taught her a few tricks, much to his own amusement. She joined in our nightly fling of music and dancing, howling out tunes as she pleased. I found it a perfect stress release, a pure form of expression. I would lose myself in the rhythms and float through the sounds of the strings singing freely at the movements of my bow against the wire. My pup would yip, and Garrett would laugh, and sing loudly at her to no particular set of words. Over time, depending on how stupid I was feeling, I would add a few lines of trilling soprano in Italian.

The Canadian air grew gradually cooler each night in the crisp fall, and after the day's travels, Savel would immediately run in a large circle, barking happily. Garrett and I would gather firewood, and build a fire pit with our bare hands. This often resulted in wrestling in the dirt, arguing over who had purposely thrown dirt at who while digging. The fire was always up to me, and I always made a fantastic and bright blaze, and the fuel of the wood kept it burning. A dried of salt lake provided us with driftwood one night that burned in blue, green and teal flames. Garrett began to instruct me more on violin than guitar, he said I had a true talent for it.

Imagine that. I, Rebecca Medachi, Athena Volturi, Nicole Glen Ann, and so on and so forth, a child of an Italian and Irish human, and the result of one vampire's idiotic act, I was… was a _musical talent?_ I played so much more then, and travel became less important to me. The violin became my passion, and Garrett was my teacher. We would exchange stories and I told him a few of mine that I hadn't told anyone since Annalise and Connie. One day, Garrett appeared back in the morning, after obviously running off somewhere whilst I slept, and came back with a bag. He claimed it was his birthday. I felt bad, I had no present for him. He laughed at that, and showed me what he had bought in a town about an hour run from here. A black western-style hat for himself, which made him look rather dashing in my opinion, and a small glass bottle.

He downed part of it immediately, much to my shock. Then the explanation, it was scotch, over two hundred years old and seeing as this was his _350__th__ birthday_, he would let himself have this small treasure. Upon my asking how he could possibly drink anything at all, he laughed at me and offered me a taste. Apparently, he could end up drunk. Needless to say, we sung louder that night, danced like idiots, played our instruments off key and then sat in the dirt grinning like morons for no reason at all. Garrett was better than a brother, he was that friend who knew what to say and when, when to joke and when to stay quiet. The mischievous light in his eyes kept me guessing every day.

He constantly commented on how I was not at all like the woman he grew up around. Though it was in a joking way, for he detested how woman were forced to dress back then. He told me how I had the wit and mouth of a soldier far older than myself, and acted much more like a boy than a young lady. With a laugh, I told him that where I grew up, I wrestled with others every day. Garrett was about twenty five when he was changed and had a patriotic spirit that was still raging like a wild-fire all these years later.

I was happy. Really, very happy. I was traveling, but not really _going somewhere_, with a person I enjoyed being around, and accepted me for who and what I was. My stray wolf fit right in, and it was the perfect dynamic for me. He could have been my father, minus the fact he rarely told me what to do.

I wasn't exactly set on a destination, there wasn't an exact place I was traveling to while I was with him. We slowly made our way west, happily, until the inevitable happened.

Felix had warned me that a past is inescapable, and that all good things have an end, that there is an ever switching pattern of bad luck and good throughout life. My luck ran out a few days after Garrett and I began nearing the American border.

I remember it so clearly, like a fresh cut, like it happened just yesterday. I barely had any warning before we were attacked, Demitri and Santiago closing in on us before I was even off the ground. Garrett panicked, the Volturi terrified him. Still, he wouldn't leave me and Savel. We stood to fight them off, and escape.

I sent volley after volley of flames at Demitri, but could not bring myself to attack Santiago, who had voted in favor of me staying human, no matter that it seemed like an eternity ago. Garrett fought of Santiago well, but the two Guard members were a trained execution team, a tracker and assassin. We hadn't stood a chance. Demitri pinned me after a cheap shot to my weak right ankle, which Felix had accidently crushed many, many years ago. It had never fully healed, and Demitri knew that. With a shriek, I collapsed to my knees, and felt a hot searing pain shoot up my leg. There was a splintering noise as Santiago grappled with Garrett. The violin was crushed in the dirt. I felt like something shattered within me, like my happiness had been a delicate glass orb, now crushed to pieces. The violin was destroyed, and Garrett, now knowing my real past, would never trust me again.

Demitri smirked.

He had won, and he knew it. Santiago grabbed Garrett and threw him down next to me. How calmly I awaited death…

But it was not to be so. I could not simply be killed in a quick and humiliation-free way. Demitri grabbed my left arm, and pushed my sleeve up. The Volturi crest, a curling, calligraphy 'V' shone on my arm where it had been burned into my skin. He sneered, and Garrett gasped. Demitri toyed with us, telling Garrett stories about how was part of the Guard, how I helped them kill rule-breakers, how I was supposed to be one of them. How I was an unstable mutant.

My dear friend had not known.

And so, he and I waited for the taunting to end, and I pleaded silently for the end to be swift. I could not beat the two of them, not together. They knew every move I had. My fire was useless, I could not draw the energy to conjure it with blood flowing freely from my leg. I barely had the energy to keep my spine straight, all of my food had been going to Savel.

"You were just a poor bystander swept up in this." Demitri had chuckled at Garrett. "Too bad, too bad."

He nodded to Santiago.

Blood roared in my ears, fury hit my like a physical force and I all but threw Demitri off me. Slamming into Santiago, I twirled around and shoved him away from Garrett. My friend leapt to his feet and we stood together, for now. I bore all my weight on my left foot, snarling under my breath. My vision blurred on the edges.

We held them off. Barely. I can't bring myself to find out how. But it changed Garrett. His eyes constantly flickered to my 'V' shaped scar, and the burns on my hands. For the first time since we had started traveling together, we didn't speak a word to each other. I could feel him drifting away, I knew our friendship wouldn't last.

Who wanted to be around an ex-Volturi with a prize on her head?

I clung to Savel that night, her heartbeat providing the only comfort I could find. She did not howl and run around in circles in anticipation of music that night. It rained. The chilly Canadian weather became even colder as the crisp autumn slipped into mid-fall. When the sun broke of the dark and dreary landscape, he was gone. Scratched in the dirt was a message. He had gone to 'clear his head', and he needed 'time to think'. My backpack was left by our dwindling fire, the tarp still over it to keep the flames dry. His guitar lay abandoned on the log where I had last seen him before falling asleep.

I knew he was gone.

And it had all been going so well, but as I had been told, but choose not to believe, you cannot escape your past. It seems mine has caught up to me. I felt a deep lonely sorrow all over ago, moving and operating without emotion, feeling simply like I had been broken. Thrown away. Rejected. Like Garrett was a god-send, and the world decided it didn't want me, and he saw I didn't belong. Mechanically, I set a brace on my leg with my tiny medical kit and some duct-tape. It was painful to walk, but I wouldn't stop now. I couldn't stay here, he wouldn't return… I might as well move on. Before, I had been wandering west with him, not really having a destination, just wanting to travel, maybe to see Carlisle, maybe not. Now, it was the only thing I had to look for.

I walked a long distance, following train tracks day and night. Unable to run, my progress slowed to a snail's pace. Until a rumbling cargo train rolled down the tracks, breaking the desolate silence of the empty wilderness. Without much thought at all, I swung myself into the open cent door of one rusted-red car. It moved along at about the speed a human could sprint. The rocking over the train jostled me this way and that, but I remained sitting on the ledge of the car, staring out at the landscape rolling by. Savel sat beside me, I could almost see her becoming thinner each day. All my food went to her, but I was running low. I lost count of how many days it had been since I'd eaten, but she needed food more than I.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and rested my chin. Absently, I allowed myself to wonder where I was, when I would reach the United States/Canada Border. Garrett was so much more to me than I had let on. He brought me back. He was my sun, my happiness. And now he had left, because of me. Because of what I was, and what I'd done. It was almost ironic, I'd left Connie and Annalise because I couldn't stand to see them hurt, but I would never have left Garrett. Because I needed him so much. So, of course, he's the one who left.

It poured rain constantly. At night, I was haunted by dreams. The faces of people I knew swirled in my head. Felix, he was smiling, then twisted into a sneer, as he coiled to attack. The ground dropped away as he sprung, and I was left falling into never-ending darkness. Connie and Annalise, walking the streets of London together, until finding themselves surrounded by grey cloaks, and I could not make a sound to shout for them. Garrett's eyes falling on brand, his eyes dark, and then flaming. Fire reflected in his pupils, then spiraling out until it burned the dream itself. The brand of the Volturi V began to bleed, and Garrett stepped back. _'You lied! You tricked me!'_ He repeated, over and over, until it faded away.

His guitar sat beside me, and I huddled in the corner of the train car at night, leaning out the open center door during the day. The train would pass fruit trees occasionally, and I would rip apples off their branches. I learned Savel was not a picky eater. She ran around the car barking happily and howled each night as the moon rose before falling asleep. I would strum the old wooden instrument quietly, with no particular pattern, missing the smooth sounds of the violin desperately. Garrett was so much better at guitar than I.

The notes of Neil Young's song, Heart of Gold seemed to be a reoccurring tune, I could not bring myself to play those happy folk Celtic songs I loved. It felt wrong. As the train rocked constantly into endless nights and rolling mountains, I found myself gazing out at the landscape. A small fire I had made dwindled in the corner. With one stick, tipped in ash, I made drawings of the breathtaking, barely touched, free landscape as I passed by it. Sometimes I stood, slouched against the open door, my toes hanging into free air, and watched birds twirl through the sky.

The train stopped at the American border. Red and blue lights lit up the entire car I was in. They thought I was an immigrant. With a sad glance back, I grabbed my backpack, scooped Savel up in one arm and glanced around the car that was my home for the last five days. I wasn't sorry to go. Garrett's guitar sat in the corner, I couldn't carry it. But that didn't matter. A clean slate is priceless.

I sprinted off into the American woods, for the second time entering the country my parents talked about, for the second time, without them. I didn't get so far running, my ankle was swollen and, honestly, it hurt so much I wanted to cry. After I was sure I was away from the border, I sat down in the damp ground and massaged my ankle, hissing curses under my breath. I heard a highway to my left, my eyes snapped to a road sign.

_Seattle- 50 miles_

'_My family is moving to Forks, it's a small town just outside of Port Angeles, a little ways from Seattle_.'

I camped for the night partway to Seattle, the glowing city lights in the distance. The run had been painful, but a combination of painkillers from my bag and bone-chilling river water made it possible. I strung the tarp over a few branches and gave Seattle my last granola bar and some of my dwindling water supply. Tomorrow, I would make it.

I would finally reach my destination. No one could stop me. Not now. Not anymore.

**Alice POV-**

School. How I hated you, school, you are so boring, relentless. But, for my brother, I'll endure you. I kept glancing at the clock, and I saw Dylan doing this as well.

He hated it.

Hated feeling like he was nearly losing control, hated feeling weak. But he was having a ball with rejecting all the 'bitchy snobs' as he called them. He said women in the early nineties had more class, which was a bit of a scary thought.

But in the pit of my stomach, I had a bad feeling. Like something was happening at home, with Bella. Oh, poor Bella, I couldn't stand leaving her for the day just to sit through classes. But it was necessary, we had to keep up pretenses.

Dylan tilted his chair back a little, gazing around the cafeteria. Jasper looked at the leg of the chair and kicked it before Dylan could stop him. As the chair tipped over, Dylan flittered to the seat next to him and flipped Jasper off. They laughed quietly.

My phone buzzed,

_Alice,_

_Need you guys back now. Something's up. It's the wolves._

_-Rose_

Jasper read it over my shoulder and nodded at Dylan. We were out of there, and Dylan grinned like an idiot as the principal yelled at our car as we sped away.

**Rebecca-**

The sun was high in the air. The trees of the Olympic peninsula stood tall, and leaning against one, nearly forty feet in the air, I had a clear view of the sparkling Pacific Ocean. I was _so_ close. I don't know why, but if I could just talk to the people who set the change in motion, who were there when I got my taste of freedom, I felt like that could help me get my feet back on the ground.

The road ahead was dirt, winding endlessly into the landscape and cutting across mountain sides. Every so often a car shot by. I would have to walk. My pup, ever faithful, Savel trotted at my side, my back pack slung over my shoulder. I walked, and saw the sun slide across the sky. Almost used to solitude and traveling the unbeaten path, it was almost unsettling to see highways, houses, cars… people nearby and no doubt there was a town up ahead. How much further could it be? An engine approached, I turned and stuck my hand out, thumb up as the old truck approached. Hitchhiking is 'dangerous' so humans say, I find this rather amusing. Hitchhiking is like… a free taxi. The car passed by without a second glance, sourly I flipped him off as he disappeared around the next turn.

I kicked the dirt every couple of steps with my good foot. The road was easier, no bushwhacking, it took less energy to walk a carved trail, and I _needed_ food. Savel barked at my side and jumped up a little, hoping once on her back paws. Her tongue lolled out of the side of her mouth.

"_Che?_" I asked with a tiny smile. Savel is my angel.

She whined once and paced, then finally darted into the woods. I waited patiently, and she returned in less than I minute. "Hope you picked a good tree." I smirked, and she shot me a look, like _'ew, only guys pee on trees._' I swear, she's much more intelligent than you would think.

My knee creaked a little bit as we continued down the road, my mouth was getting dry. I glowered at the ground, missing Garrett's funny jokes, and our pour attempts to create music. I heard another car. This one was another pick up, a dark blue-ish black, that looked like it had seen better years. I could smell the stink rolling off it before it came around the corner. It made me want to get as far away from it as possible, so I ignored it, not bothering trying to wave at the driver. But he did not ignore me.

"Oi!" The driver slowed, yelling out the side of the window. He was tall, tanned, and looked impossibly buff for a human.

"What?" I asked patiently, not bothering to stop. Savel glanced up at the truck, she went nuts. A growl burst from her snout, and she leapt at the truck, I just barely snagged her by the rope collar I had made out of twine from tree branches. "Sav!" I hissed, surprised and slightly irritated, "Down! Stop that!" She continued to try to jump at the truck and growled loudly.

"What kind of dog's that?" A boy in the passenger seat asked. He was tall, and looked just as strong as the driver. They all had their hair cut short, and an odd glint in their eyes, reminding me of the Children of the Moon.

"Ah… mutt I think." I said absently, still holding Savel, who was jumping in place at my feet. "Excuse me." I turned to keep walking, pulling Savel with me.

"Looks like a wolf." One of them commented. I realized they had stepped out of the truck and were walking after me.

"Hmm, interesting." I said evenly, _don't look at them, face forward_. I wanted to believe they were humans, just humans, but their smell, the way they acted, had me on edge.

"Where you going?"

"None of your business." I shot back coldly, stopping and glowering at the boy in the lead. Savel snarled lowly at my side. One of the boys, an angry looking teenager with sharp brown eyes, _growled_ back at her. My blood turned to ice in my veins. Savel went off into a hysterical chorus of barks, growling and pacing in front of me.

A light breeze whipped around, and I carefully sniffed the air.

_Licantropos_.

I stepped back half a step at the same time that a look of shock crossed the leader's face. His eyes locked on mine, and the other boys behind him tensed. There were six of them.

"What are you?" The leader demanded, "Are you here for the other leaches?"

I tensed, "I am here by choice."

"This is our land." One of the boys behind him shouted angrily, "Any leaches on our turf get ripped apart!"

Leaches. A way to describe… _vampires_. I took another step back. My hands clenched to fists at my side, "I'm just passing through," I said through gritted teeth, "Not trying to cause any trouble, and if I were you I'd _scamper off_." The last words were a hiss as I attempted to control my temper. Being threatened was never something I handled well.

The leader stiffened, and the boy behind the leader trembled in place. Something told me it was time to run. I scooped Savel up in my arms and placed her in my backpack like I always did when I needed to run, her fluffy head sticking up from the open zipper. Before I even got two steps away, the boys were replaced by giant wolves, tearing out of their skin. My eyes widened, it was full daylight, how is this possible?

"_Anadre all'inferno!"_ I cursed at the wolves as I ran. My ankle throbbed, shooting hot pain up my leg. I darted for the trees, hoping to lose them, weaving through the thick brush.

They were fast, and I was favoring my right leg heavily. I felt something slam into me from the side and toppled over, flying down a narrow trail, rolling head over heels. I yelped as my back hit a rock at the bottom. A mass of black fur was somewhere above me, and I rolled just as I saw the sun glinting of undeniably razor-sharp claws. My side ripped into heat, a clean slice right across my entire abdomen. I shrieked and flames shot straight upward from my hands. A high pitched howl echoes off the surrounding trees.

I managed to stagger to my feet, my hand pressed against my side, _stop the bleeding_, my mind shouted, _stop the bleeding._ There was six of them. I jumped up, reaching for a low branch and swung into the nearest tree. Above the ground, I hoped they couldn't reach me, and I leapt forward from branch to branch, covering over twenty feet with each jump. My foot slipped. I threw my arms out, landing palms first and flipped to get to my feet. I was face to face with a blurred paw as it swung around, catching my in the chest and sending me sprawling. Air rushed from my lungs in a sudden gust, and it felt like my lungs shrunk. I couldn't inhale any oxygen, no air was going to my lungs. The fanned out, surrounding me, but not blocking off one route, perhaps one purpose. In fact, I knew they wanted me to go that way, which should make it the last place I would want to go. But it wasn't like there was other options. I shot through the gap with as much speed as my weak leg could stand.

Shit, _shit, shit! Merda!_

Damn, something has to follow me wherever the hell I go! Anger bubbled in my veins, making my blood hum with energy. I turned and let the bubble of energy rip free from my body. It lashed forward as a smothering mask of flames, coating the forest around me and making the wolves scatter, howling in frustration. Savel barked taunts at from my backpack.

I immediately felt the drain on my body, every muscle trembled as the fire continued to rage, out of control, on my own energy. It was still tied to me, invisible lines sucked my energy to the flames. _Cut the connection, come on, it's the only way!_

My knees buckled, the flames dropped.

Two huge black paws were on the ground in front of me, I felt my entire body quake. "_Caspita._"

A sudden, loud crack echoed off the trees, and a sharp whimper followed.

"GET THE HELL BACK ON YOUR SIDE OF THE BORDER!" A voice shouted, fury lacing deeply into it. A pale blur shot from my peripheral and slammed into the black wolf. Vampire. I struggled to my feet, and saw the dark haired immortal and his blonde companion knock a grey wolf away from her.

"Mutts." She hissed coolly. "You just broke the treaty, go back now and we won't tear you apart." It was a growl, but the threat seemed empty.

A dark tan wolf eyed me, and then the dark haired vampire. I glowered at him,

"_Cane_." I sneered, mutt! The smaller wolf growled and charged forward, I ducked to the side and brought my arm down on his spine. He yelped and jumped backwards to his pack. "Next time I snap your tail off." I hissed in Italian.

"Get the hell outta hear before Carlisle gets back and decides to let us kick all your asses." The dark haired boy snarled. The wolves, for some reason or another, retreated.

_Carlisle_.

The two had gold eyes, curled into offensive crouches. The world started spinning. There was a high pitched ringing in my ears. I tried to lift my hand, my entire body was trembling. Dark liquid coated my palm, when I tried to balance on my hands, they slipped on the ground. Dark around me, a pool of slippery liquid that smelled strangely sweet.

_When did I end up on the ground?_

My breath was strangled, I was inhaling my own blood with every breath as the gashes in my side poured into my lungs.

"Hey, hey kid!"

"Shit, she's… she's bleeding. How the hell is that possible!"

What an idiot… I thought absently as my already grey vision faded further. My entire body was thrown into spasms, _don't give up! Don't give up!_

_Just a rest… just a quick rest…_

**Alice -**

"Emmett! Rose!" I practically shrieked as Jasper, Dylan and I tore through the forest.

"_Cane!_"

Oh my god. Oh my _GOD!_ Rebecca Medachi Volturi. No freaking way, she's in the US and here!

Emmett and Rose were braced, snarling and crouched as the wolves retreated into the forest. As I reached the clearing, I saw her hit the ground. _Rebecca!_ She was covered in blood, which was rapidly pooling around her. Her tangled black haircovered her face, she lay on her side in a dark puddle of blood. Her entire frame was shaking, weak and suffocating.

"Hey, hey kid!" Emmett ran over to her and shook her shoulder.

"Shit, she's… she's bleeding. How the hell is that possible!" Rosalie choked out.

"She's a hybrid." I snapped to my sister's side, "We have to get her back to Carlisle."

Rose's jaw dropped, her eyes widened, "Oh my…"

"Rebecca, if you can hear me, we're trying to help okay?" I said smoothly, and reached to pick her up.

"Wait!" Dylan shouted, "Brace her ankle, it looks broken." He pointed to her left leg, where her foot was twisted unnaturally.

He held her leg in place, and I quickly snapped the bone back in place. Rebecca twitched, her eyelids fluttered and a tiny whimper of pain bubbled past her lips. Her lips had her own blood on them, I could hear her breath whistle down her throat, and her the blood going down with it. Without even thinking I propped her up slightly, so the blood drained somewhere besides into her lungs. For a second, her eyes were open, her lips pulled together in a tiny frown, a drop of blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth.

"A-… Alice? Alice Cullen?" Her voice was different, choked and strained. I saw faint glinting lines throw the sun, scars that weren't there before, and four long lines that slashed across her cheek. Her entire side was soaked with dark blood, her hair was tangled with dirt, her wrists were tiny, the bones practically showing, her body starved of food. There were dark circles under her eyes.

"Rebecca." I felt my eyebrows pull together, oh my god, what had happened to this poor girl? Her eyes weren't open anymore. As the girl in my arms attempted to suck in more air, I began to panic. The future wasn't looking so sure anymore. This creature needed air to survive.

"Let's go!" I said urgently, Jasper picked up Rebecca in a flash just as her eyes started to flutter closed again.

I don't think it's possible to run so fast as when you're trying to save a life. I kept glancing back, seeing how different she was. This girl had seemed unshakable in my visions of her future, strong, and determined. She looked frail, paler, and her cheeks were void of color. I carried her backpack, and a fuzzy ear stuck out of it.

"Oh, well… hello there." I said, shocked as a small wolf pup stuck its head out of the bag.

"ALICE!" Edward roared furiously, meeting us partway before the door. "What _are you doing?_" He hissed precisely through his teeth.

"She can help." I said strongly.

"She's a dangerous liability who's more likely to attack us than help." He snarled, I glowered at my brother. _Don't be unreasonable, she can help as save Bella._

"BELLA WILL BE FINE!" He shouted, his hand curled into a fist, drawing a furious snarl from Jasper.

Thankfully, Carlisle stepped in,

"Jasper, giver her to me." He said evenly, Edward growled, but he ignored him. Jasper stepped forward, and Carlisle cradled Rebecca's limp form easily. He then disappeared upstairs where he had a practical operating room which had been originally for Bella.

"This is ridiculous." Edward forced through his teeth.

"This is helping." I shot back, "Seriously, you need to open your fucking eyes and stop being so angry and doomsday! See what the hell is going on around you Edward, you're the one who's stressing and making this worse, stop being so dark and moody!" I blew up at him, "You're making Bella nervous with all this Edward, you're making things _worse!_ Every time someone tries to help you flip, like we're all so fragile that we can't handle anything! You're not the only one who cares!"

He was silent, shocked. I was so angry, all of his unnecessary tension, how he couldn't see that he was making Bella sad, how he was making us all so stressed.

"I… I'm sorry."

"I'll forgive you." I sniffed, seeing that I would forgive him, "Just not right now."

I ran through the door, brushing against his shoulder roughly. The three wolves sat inside.

"The least you all can do," I started as pleasantly as I could, "Seeing as your pack nearly slaughtered the only person I can think of who can help us out," Jacob stood up,

"They did what?" He shouted, "They… that was them, that girl?" I nodded, and took the small backpack off my shoulder.

"This is hers, I think you would be the best people to take care of it." I handed the bag to him.

"What…?" The small wolf pup wriggled free of the backpack, a tiny hemp rope collar on its neck. "You're kidding me." Jake groaned, "That's so not funny Alice."

"Well, just take care of it until she wakes up, I'm sure you'll find you have a lot in common."

The wolf glanced at Jacob, and then at me. She trotted towards me, sitting at my feet and then growled at Jake. Jake frowned and walked forward to pet the dog. As soon as his hand was close enough, the pup lunged forward angrily, teeth snapping loudly around open air as Jacob pulled back in surprise.

"That's weird." Emmett laughed, "The wolf would rather chill with us than the dogs."

I nodded quickly, nervously, and shot up the stairs. Carlisle was working quickly, the bleeding already stopped, most of the stitches were securely in place. Her jacket was pulled away, shirt rolled up, and I could see the full extent of the damage the pack had done to her. The cuts were huge, from the third rib down to where her hip bone was, crossing to just past the middle of her stomach. The entire area was coated with dark blood, the skin that had been stitched together was dark and purple. I could see every single rib clearly and plainly, sticking out against her lightly tanned skin. Long black marks racked across her forearm, where I imagined her blocking a giant wolf's arm as they both swung at each other. Her heart was beating a bit slower than usual, which I accounted to being unconscious. Carlisle moved to her left leg, his skilled hands feeling that the bone was crooked. Carefully, he placed one hand on each side and gingerly shifted the bone back in place. I saw Rebecca's hand twitch against the white sheet. Carlisle paused, and frowned,

"I've been very careful," His eyes flickered over to me, "making notes of everything I've done, listing the injuries… the side effects, comparing them to… to the fetus." He glanced back at Rebecca, "She's unique, look at this," He gestured to a microscope, "the blood cells, they're not a known blood type, and there's more than just red and white cells there. See the third shape in there, the ones that look like crystals?" He asked me as I leaned in to look at the slide,

"Yeah."

"Those are cells of venom." He said nervously, "It's balanced very precariously in her veins, just enough venom to make her a hybrid, but just so little that it can't overwhelm her body." He made a tiny nod and them continued, "I can't give her a transfusion, and just in these… few minutes I've been examining her, the balance, I've observed that it's been thrown off." He moved quickly back to her side. "It was about a 40-60 venom to blood ratio before, a minute ago it was 50-50, now it's about 60-40, I can practically smell the change."

"You… you don't think she's…" I began, panicking,

He shook his head, "No, the her venom is too weak to change her, and she also has a built up immunity to it, but besides that… she may experience some of the side-effects."

Meaning, the excruciating pain.

I studied her face, a mask of in-expression in unconsciousness. Her eyes were framed with dark circles, and a single line cutting from the top of her right eyelid up to her eyebrow, as if tiny pieces of something had flown by her, like an expression, and one caught her face as she ducked. I sat down next to her sadly, how much of her life had I missed when my visions stopped.

Then it hit me, I could _see_ her. But not Bella, or her child.

"I got it!" I jumped up, "I know why I can see her, and not Bella!"

"Oh?" Carlisle asked, intrigued,

"Rebecca was a human, before she was born, but from then on hung in a sort of limbo, like she was being changed, but someone hit pause. Because, when she was born, the stronger venom of who bit her mom was no longer going through her system! I _was_ at some point of my change, in the exact same state as she is, that's why I can see her!" I exclaimed in a rush.

At the sound of a crash, I peered down the stairs.

"Bells?" I called,

"I'm okay! T-… the puppy just surprised me." Bella's weak voice was coated with a kind of shaky laughter that almost reminded me of how she sounded when she was healthy.

"Sorry leach, I can't control the thing!" I heard Jacob yell up the stairs.

"It's a wolf like you, grab it by the tail or something!" I shot back.

There are some things that are hard to forget. Meeting Rebecca was one of them, even if she wore a grey-Volturi cloak. But this was a tad different, not to mention she stared shrieking and writhing about an hour later. My Italian vocabulary is now very colorful.

After the first sudden, silence-ending shriek, I wasn't the only one rushing upstairs. Her entire body was shaking. She was curled up on her sides, hands twisted in her hair, her face was turned towards the sheet, trying to stifle the stream of profanities that she still managed to spew.

"What the hell is going on?" Jacob ran up the stairs, his eyes fell on Rebecca, and his body trembled, a tremor shook up his spine, "Did you… _fucking bite her?_" He demanded, an angry glint in his eyes.

"What?" I yelled, "No! That's her, damnit Black, that's her own venom causing that!" I almost shoved him, but didn't, because I realized it was just the stress getting to me.

Dylan's eyes were darker, "What's happening?" He snarled dangerously, glowering around the room at all of us.

"She's… her body is trying to balance itself out, the venom's attacking her blood." Carlisle said quickly.

Another tortured scream managed its way out through the sheet. Tears streamed freely down Rebecca's face, her eyes flicked open every now and then, but I doubt she was actually seeing something.

"Can't you do something?" Dylan demanded,

"There's no cure to venom!"

I sat next to her, not knowing if she even actually remembered me. I expected to see her ask to die, however she surprised me, and didn't. There were many obscene references directed to the mother of no one in particular. I noticed that all Italian speakers in my family seemed a shade or two paler.

"Wow… what a… vocabulary…" Rosalie said slowly.

Her heart skipped one… two… three beats before resuming again, and then stopped again. Repeating the pattern over and over, until I counted three full minutes where her heart wasn't beating, yet she continued to writhe and shriek in terrible, no doubt unbearable pain. Carlisle looked so shocked that perhaps someone told him the sky was green, or that President Bush was a surgeon. Then, her heart was beating again, I could smell the difference, because now the venom was receding. Having successfully healed her body, it just wasn't strong enough to full change her. How awful, I thought, to have to endure this multiple times.

Dylan, was standing right next to me, his eyes were watching her every movement carefully.

Her heart rate dropped back to what I would call 'normal' range, and Rebecca was completely still. Her breathing slowly leveled out, and her tightly curled hands were limp at her side. She relaxed, with an almost peaceful expression.

Carlisle was the first to speak, "I imagine she won't wake up for a while." He said softly.

"Why not?" Dylan asked,

"She's drained, exhausted… her human body just had to endure things that no human could survive." He said, "It's a fragile balance, there are repercussions to using too much of the strength she has because of the venom."He continued, "There's nothing we can do except wait."

Dylan paused, indecision flickering across his face, "I'll stay here and keep watch until she wakes up so you guys don't have to."

I smiled slightly to myself.

**! Arocora, YOU ARE AMAZING! You just made my day, my week! Thank you so much for ALL YOUR REVIEWS, and all the love you have given to my story. You review was the kindest I've ever received on any of my stories EVER. Dude, you are amazing and I owe you… cookies, butterscotch, brownies, hugs, WHATEVER YOU WANT. Now, my story just hit the 45 REVIEW MARK! Thank you to my reviewers, the people who have put this story on alert and favorite, anyone who reads or just glances! I really appreciate my reviewers, if you've favorite this story, I'd like to take a moment to ask you to please take the time to review because it seriously makes my day. I just want to hear your opinions, I don't care if they're good bad or indifferent.**

**WALL OF FAME- Seriously, you people are AH-MAZING, I love you all!**

_**Arocora**_**- because, as you pointed out, some people only review if a story has a certain amount of reviews. And the fact that you just reviewed seventeen times makes me want to do a happy dance in my room. I'll be adding more about Kate and Garrett just for you.**

_**Sand n' Sable**_**- Basically, my right-hand-reviewer. I appreciate you so much, thank you for faithfully reviewing and for the feedback, the suggestions and your enthusiasm. I hope my personification of Garrett makes you happy.**

_**SevANDfred4EVER**_**- Because your hyper reviews with super-enthusiasm make me laugh whenever I read them. Thank you so much!**

_**Slgirl**_**- For your never-failing reviews, long and lengthen, in depth showing me you actually READ the chapter, and for constantly questioning me when I get to vague, or make some spelling mistakes.**

**And to **_**HyperMufasa **_**and **_**RenataVolturi16**_**, for their single reviews that made me smile to know that there are other reviewers out there!**

_**Special thanks to my subscribers-**_

_**Alicatk**_

_**Ansteph**_

_**FireFox Vixen**_

_**Girllyingbythesea901**_

_**I took the night12**_

_**Justchillin3**_

_**Krasivaya devushka**_

_**MickyTheLittleVampire**_

_**Miss Cullen13**_

_**MorningSkyeSong**_

_**Renrinrin**_

_**Spidyluver4ever**_

_**Twilgiht652431**_

_**Vampiregirl345**_

**And those who have put this story on alert, I thank you as well.**

_**Alexandralee13, becci9770, Fnick-Figgy, Kunfewsded Actions, Tabpire, Tigraess, XoXMaximumcullenXoX**_

**You guys are seriously my motivation, and I feel really lucky for any reviews I get. With that, I guess I'll stop gushing. :) **

**I hope you liked it, review please!**

**-Zeri**


	19. Chapter 18 Opening Eyes

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 18- Opening Eyes**

**Rebecca:**

You know what? OW! Freaking OWWW! Fuck my life! I was on fire, and not in the normal way, but… _on fire!_ Every fiber of my being was burning, an incendiary heat that was unbelievably painful. Un-freaking-believable, I must have cursed halfway to Italy and back, the things that were running through my mind. Oh, those damn wolves are getting their asses beat when I'm my old self again, you can count on that.

I heard voices, people talking, as I felt myself writhe uncontrollably, trying to force the venom back down before it could do more damage, or actually get to my heart. It was difficult, I cannot explain it, but I was… _fighting_ the poison, like it was its own being, and I mine. All I could do was resist, as if I were holding back a moving wall with my arms, bracing and trying to force it back. The wall, metaphorically, being strong and moving forward, its progression furthering with each slip I made, and another shred of humanity fell into the abyss, never returning.

I won't let it win, I thought furiously, I am not a quitter, I do not give up. I pushed and strained with all the force I could muster, forcing the poison backwards, down back my veins, retreating and shoving it back to where so ever it had come from. I could feel the burning begin to dwindle, and heard a rhythmic pulse start again. _My heart_. So it was true, what Garrett had said, my heart stopped. Starting again, I hadn't noticed it had ever stopped. The fire burned backwards, almost like a collapsing black hole, pulling every ounce of the fire down, into nothingness. With the fire went my energy, consumed from fighting it off, every single bit of my strength. My muscles slackened, relaxing into sweet non-usage, and I simply floated for a while.

It was peaceful. No noises, not feeling anything, not hearing, smelling, sensing, feeling… there was just… nothing. And it was relaxing, like I was alone in my own mind for a bit, free to just drift and remain calm. As if I were suspended in water, effortlessly floating on a cushy surface.

I wasn't counting time, as if it stopped, but then resumed as I slowly descended from my drifting flight. First, I realized that there was something solid beneath me. Then, slowly I began to feel that it was a stiff mattress or flat surface of some kind with a thin white sheet drawn over it. Above me was a quietly buzzing fluorescent light. The noise bounced off the floor, but was absorbed, making me suspect there was carpet in the room. The sound waves circled around one point in particular, which I assumed was a door, to my far left.

I heard something hit the floor, the sound waves bounced and curved, painting me a 'picture' of the room. Simple, bed, bookshelf, nightstand, lamp, (me), door, some… thing, and then several noise muffling blobs at the edge, near the door.

I focused, how many people were hear? The sound waves continued to bounce, forming rough outlines, I was guessing at three, but not quite sure, and no heartbeats either. Not exactly encouraging.

My wrist twitched by itself, a side-effect of not moving for long periods of time.

"She'll wake up soon." A soprano voice, it seemed so far off.

"You can see her then?"

"Of course, now… I think she was blocking me before, can you read her?"

"No… it's… foggy, jumbled, I could read her before, in Italy, but now it's different. More… closed off." The boy struggled.

When you're incredibly relaxed, sometimes your eyes open slowly on their own. This is how the corners of my vision slowly came into place. All I could see was a blur of white, and shadows detailing corners of what I assumed were walls. I was _extremely _calm, more so than usual, to the point where I could recognize it as abnormal. It was _controlling_ the way I _felt_. Ice coursed through my veins.

"_Go away!"_

"_Stop her!" He stood up, shouting at the dark cloaks around me. I ran as fast as I could, dodging people as I wound by them, my head only came up to their waists'._

"_Bex, Becca!" Someone was calling, I ran faster, terrified. All of those poor people! What had they done? What. Had. They. Done?_

_An arm wrapped around my waist, "No, _Daddy_!" I shrieked, kicking and flailing._

_And then everything was gone, total numbness. No sight, no sound, nothing. It was all black, I was terrified, I screamed and yelled but heard nothing, there was no light I could see. I was only aware that I was trembling, and other than that… I was alone._

_I was alone, numb, exposed, terrified. I had never experienced such terror in my life, the feeling complete nothingness. It's scaring, haunting. I'd never forget it… I was five years old._

He hadn't meant it. I thought through gritted teeth, it was a long time ago, Alec didn't mean it. The calming feeling was like waves, lapping at my mind.

"Tone it down."

"Why?"

"It's freaking her out."

"Being calm is making her nervous…?"

"This is ridiculous, how do we know she won't attack us? Or hurt Bella?"

"It shouldn't be so crowded, she'll be scared."

"I should stay."

"No, you'll make her feel threatened."

"What about me?"

"Yeah, you and him."

"I'm not leaving Alice alone in here without me!"

"Relax, just stand outside. You can't be here when she wakes up. She's spent a long time living as a puppet for the Guard, what do you think her reaction will be if she sees you?" The last voice was smooth and reasonable. I'd heard it before, I just never thought I'd hear it again.

I blinked.

The room snapped into sudden focus.

I had been right, the room was a bland white color a small couch beneath me with a sheet pulled over it. I guessed that perhaps this was a guest room. A nightstand made of dark, stained mahogany was just to my left. I was right about the bookshelf too, and a tall lamp right next to it. I took a deep breath in, letting air flood into my lungs, and scents hit my nose. Mixing vampire scents and one human, as well as an odd and disgusting smell. I sat straight up and looked around, looking for the one in the room who had been speaking, the one who may present a threat.

My heart nearly stopped.

The very first immortal to speak with me as though I were truly an equal. And he did the most odd thing in the world I could imagine for this situation… he smiled. Warmly, openly, as if nothing was wrong, as if no one was in danger, as if I was no bother to him and his family at all.

"Rebecca, or… did you still go by Athena?"

It took me a moment to respond, "I've had a few names." I managed with a tiny smile, "I do prefer Rebecca."

"Rebecca then," He continued, "I must say I was surprised when Alice called and said you were in the States, in Olympia no less. You had a pretty close call though." A frown creased his forehead.

I sighed, "Damn werewolves."

His eyebrow quirked up, "You've seen others?"

"Once or twice." I said slowly, "In Africa, the Middle-East and India."

"The actual… _Children of the Moon_, and not shape-shifters?" Carlisle pressed.

"Shape-shifters?" I repeated. That would have made more sense, because it was daytime, no moon, none at all. They had smelled terrible.

He leaned back, processing this, seeing as I had just confirmed that the actually _werewolves_ still existed in the world. "Alice saw that, you know. The first time I believe." His eyes flickered up to me, and my hand shot up to my cheek, tracing the long smooth scars.

He was concerned, and exhaled a sad slow sigh, "What happened to you Becca?" He asked.

My mouth dried up a little. "It's been a few years Carlisle, you didn't expect me to stay the same, did you?"

He quirked a smile, "No, you made it clear that you're rather unique. But, I think we both know I wasn't talking about physical growth, I was talking about _you_. Are you… alright?"

I felt myself almost physically cringe inwardly. Folding myself a bit more comfortably on the mattress I attempted to level with him, even if it were just for a moment. "I honestly don't know." I began, "There's not much that's constant in my life anymore. I don't know where I'm going, why I even came _here_, I remember deciding to, I just don't remember why." I muttered quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I forced a smile, "Not really."

He respected that, which was nice of him. Rarely have I met someone so understanding as him. "Well, then I was wondering if you remembered being attacked. Purely medical curiosity, I'm concerned you may have sustained a concussion along with other injuries."

"I remember perfectly." I said flatly, not missing how he titled his head to one side.

"Interesting…" He mumbled to himself, "Did you know your eyes change color?"

"What?"

"They just got a few shades darker, not to worry, I'm guessing it's normal." He rushed out, "Now, I had to reset you Tibia,"

"My what?"

"Broken lower shin."

"Oh."

I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment when he chuckled.

"I suppose I should have said, _stinco_, and it would have made more sense." He smiled pleasantly, which added to my embarrassment. Among the Guard, I had prided myself in being able to speak almost fluent English. However, after I left, I had so little contact with people that I barely spoke at all, not to mention in English. "The facture was old, possibly years, partially healed, then re-broken." He said slowly.

"Yeeeaah…" I drew out the word, "Not all of us are completely indestructible." A look of sympathy flickered across his face, my hand twitched in irritation.

"Would you like to meet the rest of my family? I believe you've already met some of them." He said cautiously.

"I'm not incapable of acting civilized," I rolled my eyes at him, but then frowned, "When I want to at least."

"Just, remain calm, remember that no one here will hurt you, alright?" He said seriously.

"Not that they could…" I murmured to myself. I straightened up, my muscles and joints were stiff and made a few cracking noises of protested. Glancing down, I realized I was still my in blood-spattered, relatively dirty, shredded on one side, black tee shirt. My jeans had fared better, avoiding the shredding and splattering of liquid red stuff, but were still matted with dirt. I felt a twinge of annoyance, I hate meeting people. I hate meeting people and looking like a monster more. I try to avoid that. Spotting my black coat lying over the nightstand, I snagged it happily. The coat was a light, 'technical' fleece, made to be water proof, warm, wind-resistant at high speeds, wick away sweat _and_ it was a good color.

Black.

Needless to say, I didn't buy it. I don't have that kind of money, however, I'm sure the owner didn't miss it too much. Lucky lady was rich beyond what I thought was possible. I zipped up the jacket, which had a smooth, yet edgy look to it that I just adored.

"I hope your family is as passive about the fact I'm covered in dried blood as you are." I said casually as he held the door open for me.

He smiled, "They'll be fine."

I lowered my voice as we approached a flight of stairs that led down to the first floor, "How many in your family?"

"Nine… one new addition, Dylan, and then Bella's human and she's also p-…" He said slowly, "ten." I shot him a questioning glance, and he looked a tad frustrated. I dropped it.

"Are there any others with talents?" I was whispering almost silently now, because I could hear a heartbeat.

"Jasper." He muttered back.

"And?" I demanded.

"Ask him yourself." Carlisle was so quiet I barely made out the words. He stopped in front of a large oak door. We stood what would have been a formal dining room, if it were ever used as such.

I let out a short breathe, _inhale_. He glanced at me, as if to say, 'ready?', _exhale_, I nodded.

Bring it on.

At the sound of the door closing, I saw several heads whip around. There were only two I vaguely recognized. The black-haired, future-seeing, pixie girl who was oddly happy to see me. She smiled happily, I kept my expression blank.

"_Felix, this is ridiculous, I'm never gonna meet other people anyways, Aro won't let me!"_

"_Yeah, but if you do…"_

"_I won't."_

"_Stop being such a Debbie downer! I'm trying to help you monkey!"_

"_Fine."_

"_Well, first of all, try not to say too much, only answer when you're spoken to. If you talk a lot, you appear nervous or weak. Look out for the most dangerous people, and the weakest, you gotta prioritize the threats."_

"_Even though this will _never_ happen…"_

"_Hush, make sure you don't show a lot of emotion, don't make it easy for anyone to read you. Stay on your toes, know where there are escape routes, just in case."_

"_Felix! This is ridiculous."_

"_Just… humor me, I'd feel guilty if I didn't teach you all I know._"

Perhaps he was just an overprotective brother. But, maybe… he knew things. Felix seemed to always know what to say, teach, do, that would present me with an amazing advantage in the future. He thought of things I would never dream of, but things that always come true. Perhaps he was like Alice, but in a subtler way. Aro would easily overlook it, he barely considered my poor brother an intelligent being.

The pixie stood up, and looked as though she were going to approach me. A boy rose beside her, his arm catching her and stopping her.

"No." It was a low growl.

"I trust her."

"I don't."

"Perhaps we should talk." I interjected coolly. The boy turned, and I felt every muscle in my body freeze. Half-crescent scars covered his entire body, every single inch. His eyes, though a dark gold color, were icy, narrow and purely hostile. Blond hair disheveled, and falling in his face, the corner of his mouth turned upwards in an angry sneer. Everything about him screamed, _danger, threat!_ And every single fiber of my being wanted to attack him before he got the chance to attack me. As it was, I coiled into a slight crouch instinctively and a low, quiet, snarl broke from my throat.

"Jazz!" The pixie, Alice if I remember correctly, hissed in his ear, grabbing his shoulder as he crouched defensively. "Stop that! Relax, I can _see_ what's going to happen, I promise. It'll be fine, calm down, you're freaking her out."

All eyes flickered between the soldier and me. There was no way I was backing off before he did, that's just how I was wired.

After a few long and uncomfortable seconds ticked by, he jerked out of his crouch and in turn, I straightened up. His eyes didn't leave mine though, as if he were daring me to try something. My veins hummed with adrenaline. I hadn't seen an individual that scared me like he did in a long time.

"Everyone, this is Rebecca," Carlisle stepped forward after clearing his throat, "Rebecca, this is my family." The rest of them stood up, the blond girl and dark haired boy I recognized from my encounter with the shape-shifter, and an older woman with auburn hair. "Alice, Jasper," he gestured to them, "Emmett, Rosalie, and my wife Esme."

I scanned the room for the one who I knew was missing, and then the new addition Carlisle mentioned.

"He's with Bella." Alice chirped in. I pressed my lips together in a tight line to bite back a snide remark.

There was a long and awkward silence, all of the Cullen 'children' were staring at me. I clenched my jaw,

"Am I supposed to say something?" I finally ground out.

"Thanks would be nice." The big-… I mean Emmett shrugged casually.

I rarely thank people, I don't believe I ever thanked Garrett for saving me, nor anyone in a long time.

"_Grazie_." I muttered, folding my arms across my chest. Emmett smiled slightly at me.

Carlisle placed his hand on my shoulder reassuringly, "Why don't we sit down and have a talk before we talk to Bella." He said with a smile, but there was an anxiety laced into his voice that made me nervous. I heard someone shifting uncomfortably in the next room, several people. Several heartbeats. And a wet dog smell.

"They're _here?"_ I rasped out in surprise.

"There's two packs." Carlisle said quickly, "One of them is trying to help us… the other…"

"Isn't." Rosalie finished smoothly. I was practically shaking, anxiety, fear, anger, aggression, worry, and resentment bounced around in my mind. The wolves were _in the next room_. Then, another scent came to my nose, and I calmed almost immediately,

"Savel…" I murmured, and heard a loud bark not a second later. There was a hollow noise, and then my loyal wolf tore around the corner and all but tackled me to the ground. "_Sav! Mia angelo, cucciolo. Ti sono mancata?_" I scratched her tiny ears and she yipped happily.

"That thing's yours?" A tall, tan boy walked forward, he looked younger, around fifteen. My lip curled over my teeth and I snarled at him.

"Seth, backup," Alice warned him, "She's not to found of you and your pack right now."

"Why…?" He started to ask but then stopped and his mouth formed a small 'o' of understanding, "Look kid, I'm really sorry about that, I mean, it wasn't our pack and Sam's wicked jumpy right now and it's their land and he thought you broke the treaty-" From there I stopped listening.

"I believe it was not your pack, I do not recognize your scent." I interrupted him sharply. Alice, an expression of determination on her face, grabbed my arm and marched me forward, towards the room with three other heartbeats.

There were two more shifters leaning against the wall, a male and a female. My eyes then danced around the room, finally landing on the copper-haired boy whom I had met before. So much like Carlisle, but so much more angry. But something was wrong, his eyes were pained to the point of agony, and he looked almost deranged.

Lying next to him, curled up on the couch, was the human girl, Bella. She was paler than humans should be, her skin waxy, hair matted against her neck, skinnier, her skin wrapping tightly around her bones. I had never seen such a fragile creature in my life.

"_O mio dio…_" I whispered in shock. For Bella was not just sick, her stomach was swollen with a child. She was pregnant. And Edward was the father. A vampire… and a human. The child not compatible with her body, stronger than her. It was a hybrid.

"Hi…" She said shyly.

"Bella." I managed. "Cong-congratulations on your… wedding… and…" I tried to form a sentence, but couldn't. She smiled shyly. Someone behind her shifted slightly, I hadn't noticed them before.

It was a boy with jet black hair that fell messily in his face. He looked about seventeen, or thereabouts. He was a good several inches taller than I, and relatively slender, lacking the bulk of his brother Emmett. His face was set in perfect proportions, and the jaw line had a sharp, defined curve. He wore a loose grey tee-shirt, that exposed part of his collar bone just at the base of his neck. The boy was long-legged and lanky, dark jeans sitting slightly crooked on his waist. His eyes were a dark smoldering amber color, as though he hadn't hunted in a long time. His lip curved up in a slight expression of amusement, the tiny light of silent laughter dancing around in his irises. A small curved scar glinted on his neck, and one more on his forearm. His stance was neutral, but he radiated a kind of hopeful feeling that was like a warming cup of tea in the morning.

"Oh, Rebecca, this is our newest brother," Alice smiled happily, gesturing to the black haired boy, "Dylan."

"Ciao." I said, my voice slightly uneven. _You idiot_, part of my mind snapped, _stop being nervous, you can take them all!_

_No I can't, there's nine of them, three wolves, and Bella!_ I snapped back.

_She's human_. The snide voice continued.

_So am I._ I shot back bitterly.

_No, you correct anyone who says that!_

_I do not!_

_Do to!_

_Shut the hell up._

_Hey, I'm just the voice in your head. Maybe you're crazy._

I huffed in annoyance. Great, I have a voice in my head. Not really, but 'multiple personalities' doesn't sound that much better.

"Rebecca, how'd you get here, I lost your future right after that flight from Germany?" Alice asked cheerfully, as if that were completely normal.

"Eh… you were watching my future?" I asked cautiously, not really sure how to feel about that.

"You'll get used to it." Emmett chuckled, and Alice looked at me expectantly.

"I'd rather… not…" I attempted to form words, my thoughts moving at one hundred miles per hour in Italian, but translating impossibly slowly to English. Suddenly uncomfortable, I jammed my scar-covered hands in my pockets. I would have sworn the scars on my cheek and neck felt like they were tingling. Jasper looked at me quizzically and I ground my teeth quietly. "I don't want to talk about it." I finally put together.

Alice frowned, "How do you do that…?" She muttered, "Your future's gone, like you can choose to block me." She was talking mostly to herself. Esme was standing next to me now, and squeezed my shoulders,

"Do you want to talk?" She asked kindly. She reminded me so much of my… or, rather, what a mother _should_ be like. I don't really know what mom's are really like, but something about her seemed motherly. I wanted to hug her and cry. But I didn't. I couldn't, because I was still the odd one in the room. The one that was being watched, just in case.

"No." I said evenly. Looking at Bella, I suddenly wanted to… to… do _something_. I wanted to help, maybe because I felt guilty, maybe because I wished my mother was still alive, still around, and I wanted to make sure Bella did. For her child. Whether my mom was alive or dead, I don't know, and that's not something I would wish on anyone.

They say the bond between mother and daughter is the strongest and most complex in the world.

I wouldn't know.

I looked over at Carlisle, "What do you know about Bella's child?" I swear I saw Alice smile slightly.

"The child is a hybrid, but other than that I know next to nothing. The womb is like our skin, impossible to see through, but I do know the child grows rapidly." He said quickly.

"Hmm… you think the child has skin like yours?" I asked curiously.

"Well, yes of course, don't you?" Carlisle seemed confused.

"Not quiet…" I muttered darkly, remembering all the times I had wished that I wasn't so fragile simply because I was much more easily harmed than full immortals were.

"How exactly do the human genes effect you?" It was the boy, Edward, who asked this time. A spark of anger flashed up quickly. Why was he asking me these questions? I am not some kind of science experiment. But I calmed myself, this was not about me, I reminded myself, don't be so childish.

"Well, obviously, I am alive… sort of… and I do need air to survive, though I can hold my breath for very long periods of time… about four minutes." I frowned slightly, "I'm not as fast or strong as you guys are, so I have to rely on my gift and just being smart and careful. I can bruise, I can bleed, I get headaches when I don't get enough sleep, I can eat human food but I don't really…"

"So you drink blood?" Carlisle asked.

"Well… no, I don't usua-… I mean I don't always feel thir-…" I struggled for words, feeling guilty. I didn't even have the excuse of always feeling thirsty to use for the fact I murdered someone. "I don't eat as much as humans do."

"Have you… drunk blood…?" It was Jasper who asked. I shifted awkwardly in place.

"Ah… well… once."

"Interesting." Carlisle nodded to himself, utterly calm. Then I realized he assumed it had been _animal_ blood, and I felt ashamed. "Did you grow faster than normal children?" He was unaware of what I had just been thinking, that poor man… the feeling of helplessness, being crushed by an instinct that wasn't even mine…

"No." I said softly. "I grow at the same speed as humans."

Except normal humans don't drink _blood!_ My mind shrieked at me.

_Shut up, shut up, shut up!_ I shouted back at the voice, _It wasn't my fault, I didn't mean to!_

_Oh, really? You can't control your own body? Pathetic._

_It's your body to!_

A long, tired sigh escaped me. My legs ached, my stomach felt hollow, like it was pulling in on itself because I was so hungry. Yes, it's _my_ body, I thought sourly, and I am tired. Bella glanced up at me and smiled slightly,

"I'm sorry you went through all this trouble just to find us." She said quietly.

I laughed, it sounded sharp and dry, "Sorry? What are you sorry for? No, don't be sorry, nothing that has happened is your fault."

"But maybe if we never ended up in Volterra-"

"Perhaps by now I would either be dead of one of the Guard." I mused, "It was the family bond between you, Alice, and Edward that made Felix want to get me out of Italy." I squatted down next to her, balancing lightly on my toes, "Don't worry yourself with trivial things. Focus on what's important." I forced as sincere a smile as I could manage for the guilt I still felt, and gestured to her stomach. She blushed.

"Was your mom a worrier?" She asked kindly.

I feel myself tense up. My mother. Fiona Medachi, who I'd only met twice in my life. When she'd brought me safely to my hometown after my birth, and when she was a crazed, blood thirsty monster whom the Volturi spared out of pity. Did I consider her my mother? I barely knew her. I never saw her face when she was human… red eyes didn't seem right when I pictured my 'mother'. Then who? Heidi? I called her mom. Did that make her my _mother_? She loved me, cared about me, looked out for me… but we weren't the same.

Heidi worried.

But it felt wrong to tell someone else she was my actual mother. Because she wasn't, I called her mom because I loved her and she loved me back. But she wasn't _mom_. I didn't have a mom. I couldn't say Fiona was my mom, I knew more about someone I just met than I did about her.

So who was it Bella was referring to?

My birth mother who I never even spoke to once, or the friend I called 'mom' to see her smile? What about Fiona, what was she even like? Did she worry?

"Um… I don't know." I finally said, "We didn't… talk much." I frowned, was that my fault? Maybe I should have tried to track my _mother_ down instead of the monster who _killed her_. That thought brought renewed anger and resentment to the man I had one point stupidly called my father. He was no father, he was a killer.

"Oh." Bella said quietly.

My stomach growled. My eyes widened in embarrassment, I felt my cheeks heat up. "Uh…"

"Hungry?" The dark haired boy, Dylan, asked. His voice was smooth, and _caring_.

I felt embarrassed, for no reason. Which was confusing. And annoying.

I sat down on the carpet next to Bella. She was smiling, telling me stories about her life before and after our brief meeting. I enjoyed real food for the first time in far too long. How is it the dead are such amazing cooks? Strawberries, fresh bread, amazing chicken, and… and _tea!_

Esme had a tea pot in her hand and I felt my eyes widen. I smelled the grand flavor of green tea, and the scent of mint twisting in the air.

"Green with a twist of mint." I tilted my head to one side with a smile, "I wonder how he remembered."

It was the most comforting gesture, and I was momentarily back in Italy. Back in _Valle Celeste_, it was spring. The air at night was bitter, the sun warmed the earth during the day. My father welcomed me home from the school house with warm tea and had a fire going in the living room.

The carpet felt incredibly comfortable. I leaned back into the couch and my eyelids felt heavy.

"You don't have to stay awake." Bella said quietly, the television flashed different blurs of color I could no longer focus on.

"'sposed to 'till E'ard back." I slurred out, and heard her laugh.

"Why does everyone always think I need someone protecting me?"

Because you are human… because you are alive…

**Hope you liked it!**

**Ummmm… just like to say to my reviewers that you're all AWESOME. And I am ONE REVIEW AWAY from fifty reviews! You guys all make me sup-ah happy!**

**Soooo… here's a virtual bunny for y'all.**

**( ) _( )**

**(='.'=)**

**(")_(")**

**Here's a hint, this bunny eats reviews. If you don't review, the bunny might starve! Gasp! Save the bunny everyone! ;)**

**-Zeri!**

**PS- I'm off to rowing camp for a while, it'll be a while till the next update, sorrrrrrryyyy!**


	20. Chapter 19 Pretender

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 19- Pretender**

**Alice POV:**

The tension in the air is thinner. We finally got everyone out of the house to hunt.

Edward had needed it the most. But he wouldn't leave Bella's side, and Rosalie wouldn't leave if Edward didn't, Esme wouldn't leave Rose, and so on and so forth. Rebecca's presence gave my family a small piece of neutral ground to choose. She wouldn't hurt Bella, she wouldn't try to get rid of the baby, in fact, she didn't care that much. But she knew more about Bella's baby than all of us put together. That was barely enough to get Edward out of the house, but it got him, and therefore Rose out to hunt.

Even better? Everyone was a little more relaxed.

I was worried for Rebecca though.

She put on a nice smile, covered up every inch of her skin she could to hide her scars and pretended to happily dwell about the room. I could see that whenever she heard something, she _observed_ something else. There was a light, a kind of flickering in her eyes. Of course, I saw it, I was paying attention. After the first time, when she looked at my brother. _There _was a complicated future. Why? Another clue, when Bella asked about her mother, that movement in her eyes. She was somewhere else. There was a lot more she wasn't saying. Something happened.

She pushed people away.

To me, it was plain to see. When someone tried to comfort her, put a hand on her shoulder, she moved away. Whenever she moved, she was completely guarded. Arms folded across her chest, shoulders turned slightly inward, eyes flicking around as if she expected something to happen. She purposely, subconsciously, would walk a longer distance to put extra space between her and someone else. When she spoke to people, she held their gaze with a cold stare, and almost always had her hands in her pockets.

She had been pushed, broken, hurt.

But she was still strong. She walked with her head high, and jaw set. There was a glint in her eye that was decidedly aggressive, the way she looked around at a room, the way she curled her lip slightly when she caught the scent of another. It was the way she was raised, by _them_, the same ones who also no doubt altered her life so far from that of what it should have been. When she saw my Jazz, her reaction was so immediate, so fluid, like she'd been hard-wired to react like that. She might as well have been wearing an ash grey cloak for the hostility she radiated.

I sighed heavily, so complicated! She was a Volturi, and that stuck with her, but she was also a kid, and _that _stuck with her, and then the rest of the stuff. My poor sister.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me.

She's not my sister right now, but she will be. I thought firmly, she will be. _And I'll be her maid of honor!_

Ha! Perhaps that was the future, perhaps she would be married in London after all, to _my_ brother. Oh, that would be so perfect. Perhaps _he_ was the dark haired boy in my vision. The boy had never turned, how annoying, that would mean the wedding photos wouldn't have the perfect angle. I'd have to correct that when the time came of course…

"You are getting so completely ahead of yourself that it stopped being amusing several minutes ago."

I pouted, "Go rain on someone else's parade."

When we got back, everyone at home was asleep. Odd, the usual occupants _never sleep_. However, Bella was asleep on the couch, the dogs passed out in the corner, and _actual dog_ curled up asleep next to Rebecca, who was on the ground next to Bella. Relaxed, she looked a little… softer, more fragile and human. The scars on her cheek stuck out, I noticed they cut entirely down her neck. _Stupid werewolves_, I ground out in my mind.

"Hey, you think Bells can hear me?" Emmett whispered with a goofy grin.

"Emmett… don't even think about." I stated lowly, but he was already reaching to put his hand on Bella's shoulder and startle her awake.

_Wham!_

Emmett was on the other side of the room, sliding across the floor. A furious snarl ripped from the semi-darkness of the unlit room. Rebecca wasn't where she was a split second ago, her pup was at her feet, head lowered in a growl, hackles up, and the dogs were clumsily getting to their feet. Not even one tenth of a second had passed since Emmett moved.

She blinked, and her mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise. "Mi dispiace!"

Emmett was sprawled out on the ground, his eyes were wide in surprise, arm still frozen from his move to wake Bella. My family was standing around me, shocked into stillness. She had moved incredibly fast, without making a conscious decision to do so. She simply saw the movement and knew she had to protect Bella. Nothing more. It was instinctual.

Noise. Instinct triggered by noise. In a human being, that kind of ingrained instinct would have taken traumatic experiences of repetitive action over a long period of time… What had Rebecca learned that would make her automatically so… _violent_ in a defensive way when she heard _noise_?

Her heart was beating quickly, a constant fluttering sound. Bella shifted quietly, her eyes fluttering open and she looked around, drinking in the situation with a slight stupor.

"What happened?" She asked, seeing Emmett on the ground. My brother got to his feet quickly.

"Nothing, nothing." Edward reassured her, placing his hand on her shoulder carefully.

"I overreacted." Rebecca said, relaxing her posture, "Are you alright?" The question was directed to Emmett.

He snorted and rolled his eyes, "I'm fine. Don't worry about it kid."

She narrowed her eyes at him slightly, then relaxed again. As if she got angry, and then remembered it was no big deal. I looked at her dirty clothes, and realized she was wearing the same thing as when we found her.

"Bex, follow me." I said cheerfully and lead her down the hallway. She followed somewhat reluctantly.

"You should take a shower." I said seriously, gesturing towards her messy frazzled hair.

She tilted her head to one side, "I didn't think I smelled that bad…"

"No, no," I assured her quickly, "It's just that since you're helping out and all, I figured you should be a little more comfortable."

She looked down. "I don't have any other clothes."

"I can wash them or you can borrow some." I said quickly.

Rebecca laughed and unzipped her coat, her tee-shirt was in torn ribbons, I could see the cuts healing beneath the open slashes in the fabric, "Washing won't help much, do you have any spares?"

I have a _lot_ of spares. After picking out something for Rebecca and shoving her into the bathroom for a shower, I turned back towards the family room.

Waltzing back into the living room, I saw Jazz and Emmett wrestling. It was sort of childish, like a squabble over a soccer ball or something, they were more shoving each other around, still…

"Not in the house!" Esme scolded them, she glanced at me, "Where's Rebecca?"

"Taking a shower." I chirped, "Who wants to play chess?"

Emmett groaned.

"No, I already lost that bet about two-hundred times." He muttered.

"Maybe you shouldn't play against someone who can see the future." Jasper muttered under his breath, straightening out his shirt. I heard Edward chuckle, and I remembered our last chess game. Always a stale-mate, always. I could see his moves, and he read mine. Which tangled up the future into frustrating snarls of… possibilities and complications. He heard all of that mess to, so it was usually a matter of who gave up first.

Rosalie, who was lounging on the arm chair, sat up. "You know, she's a bit interesting."

My sister had my attention, "Oh?"

"Mhm…" She absently looked at her finger nails. "Unique, and I thought she wouldn't like the baby because of whatever happened that she isn't telling us. But it seems to me like she'd tear apart anyone who tried to touch Bella." She looked at me with a slow kind of gaze, "There's… something else to, I can't put my finger on it…" She paused, tapping her fingers on the armchair, "but I can _sympathize_ with her, as if I _relate_ to her." She struggled for words.

"She's not telling us a lot of stuff Rose." I finally said quietly.

She looked at me, "Did you see it?"

"No." I said sadly, "But… normal teenagers don't get beaten up like she was. They don't have all those scars, they don't have the instinct to attack someone, and they aren't raised to be emotionless weapons." I muttered the last part bitterly.

"Was she really one of them?" Bella asked, "I mean, I know I met her, I just… she seemed different."

"Well, she is a hybrid." Carlisle pointed out.

"Remember what I called her once, and you freaked out?" I asked.

"I did not 'freak out'." Carlisle stated calmly.

"I said someone called her a _domandian_." I repeated the word. Carlisle had the same reaction, his eyes widened and he tensed.

"Don't say that word!" He hissed out.

"Why?" I shot back quickly, "If it just refers to hybrids than that's what Bella's baby will be!"

"No." He shook his head, "That would be impossible. The term _'domandian_' literally means 'the damned'. It's _not_ a good thing Alice, and it refers to a special kind of hybrid."

"When did you learn about this?" Edward asked suddenly.

"My time in Volterra." He said, "The word _domandian_ refers to a fierce kind of monster. Yes, they are hybrids, but specifically created by killing the mother while she is pregnant with the child. The vampire who provides the venomous DNA is a third party, not the father. The child lives, the mother dies, the father is often killed by the creator out of simply thirst." He said slowly. "These children were created to be an army, they were wildly unstable, and vicious. Over history, there was one man who created an army of ten. He nearly destroyed the Volturi." Carlisle paused.

"There is another, his name is William, and he has started creating these children… he wants to overthrow the human race." He said sadly, "The man is deranged."

"That doesn't make the kids monsters." I pointed out.

"The children are monsters." Carlisle sighed, "Raised to be weapons, all of them incredibly powerful because of how the venom twined in their systems. They're destructive, and cruel. They live lives full of anger and pain, causing and feeling it. The structure of their DNA is so incredibly fragile that some of them actually _fall apart_ after being injured. Often times, they end up vampires with amazing gifts and a thirst for chaos."

"Gifts like control over fire?" Edward asked, looking skeptical.

Carlisle paused, and frowned, "No, she couldn't be one of them. William would have sought her out by now, she would have gone insane, everyone she came in contact with would be dead."

"That's a little dark." I choked.

"Like I said, they're unstable."

I heard a light sound behind me, Rebecca stepped out into the hallway, toweling off her hair. She glanced up at us, her eyes flashed for a second.

"Who is unstable?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it." Carlisle said quickly.

Rebecca pursed her lips, but let it go. She looked completely different, in a pair of dark jeans I picked out for her and a light purple tee-shirt. It complemented her eyes nicely. Her hair had before been in a messy braid, now I could tell it was much longer then I thought. Probably down to the last of her ribs, her raven black hair was perfectly straight, and parted to one side, it covered part of her left eye. It also covered part of the four long scars on her cheek.

"How are you Bella?" Rebecca asked warmly. Bella blushed,

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me." She muttered, Bex smirked slightly.

"Coming from the queen of worrying." She chuckled and flopped down on the couch next to Bella, she seemed sleepy.

"Tired?" I asked casually.

"_Un po'_." She admitted, a little, and rolled her shoulders back, her back cracked several times and she sniffed, "_Ah, ahi_." She drew in through her teeth.

"Back problems, grandma?" Emmett teased, Rebecca shot him a quick, glinting glower.

"I've always had back problems." She said defensively, "Not all of us can be so indestructible." She leaned back, lacing her fingers together behind her head. I never noticed how graceful she looked, she had a pretty face and a nice tan, she looked mischievous and just a little bit edgy. She snapped her fingers, and Savel happily leapt into her lap.

"Alright Ms. Not-so-indestructible," Emmett started, sitting down next to her, between Bella and her, "If you're so human-ish, why can you tango with our kind?"

Rebecca blinked, "I don't understand… what is a tango?" She asked skeptically. Ah, the lovely language barrier.

"Uh, metaphor, never mind. How come you can fight us and not… you know…?" He trailed off,

"Die?" Bex finished with a tiny snort. She rubbed the back of her neck, "I honestly don't know, I consider myself luck really. The balance of human and vampire was not up to me, and it seems that it is at just the correct balance for me. I'm just barely fast enough, my reflexes are just barely good enough… so I scrape by." She threw in a good fake smile for extra measure.

Bella shifted suddenly and coughed. Everyone seemed to tense up. She curled herself up a little tighter and groaned miserably,

"Bella?" Edward asked, panicked.

"I'm okay, I just feel sick." She muttered quietly. Rebecca tilted her head to one side,

"How much human food has she been eating?" Becca asked quietly.

"Not much." Carlisle said, concerned.

Rebecca was silent for a few seconds, her brow furrowed, then… "That's because the baby doesn't want human food." She whispered very, very quietly.

"What?" Edward demanded.

"It's more like… like _you_," She gestured towards Edward, "than I am. The baby needs nutrients, in turn, Bella does. But not… human nutrients. What the baby needs, what if _wants_, in turn becomes what Bella needs. The baby is thirsty." She explained, and I felt my eyes pop wide open. That explained it! Why Bella was paling, why there was never any blood in her cheeks, why she was so weak, the baby needed _blood_. It was draining hers. Cold panic hit me,

"It's killing her!" Edward whispered.

Rebecca pursed her lips, did she have a solution? If she didn't, what could we do? What was there to think up, to patch up? You can't teach an unborn child not to drain their mother. I dove into the grey and hazy future, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to see past the child. Why can't I see the child? If I could see, if I could see, everything would be easier. Know the future, adjust it, and enjoy the outcome you wanted. But I can't see the child, it's a hybrid. A natural hybrid, woven together instead of frozen partway through the change like Rebecca. I wondered how she could understand so much about the baby even if she wasn't like it exactly. Were there more like her? Jazz squeezed my hand but I couldn't relax, the baby was draining my sister right before my eyes.

"That's a good idea." Edward said suddenly, facing Jacob.

"I didn't say anything." He said, confused.

"Perhaps we've been going about this wrong." Edward started, "Maybe we need to feed the baby to help Bella. Maybe if she…" He trailed off, but I could see the excitement in her eyes.

"You want her to… that's nasty!" Jacob gagged, leaning against the couch.

"It _was_ your idea." Edward said shortly.

"I'm not responsible for what you pick out of my mind and twist into sentences."

It was a solution. Within seconds, we were setting it all up, Carlisle had extra blood for Bella just in case, and Rose and I were finding a cup that wasn't clear. I was almost positive Bella would puke if she saw the blood as she drank it. How humorous, if anyone couldn't see the irony here they were insane. A human drinking blood like one of us, who would no doubt find it gross but have to drink it anyways whiles the rest of us _wanted_ to. She wasn't repulsed.

"It… smells good." I heard her say under her breath.

She downed the. whole. glass.

"Go lil' sis!" Emmett chuckled after she set it aside, "Way to be one of us already!"

Edward didn't find it quiet so funny, but seeing the immediate improvement in Bella's condition, he kept any sourness to himself. We left Edward and Bella to talk about their plan and sat in the dining room, Rebecca crashed in one of the larger chairs, slouching and leaning against the side of the chair.

"I wish I could see the fetus…" Carlisle muttered after a pause, "But I can't see past the womb."

"Why don't you make a tiny incision and use one of those… those… robot camera things?" Rebecca asked, making hand motions for a camera after struggling to translate her thoughts to English. Rosalie shot her a venomous look,

"Are you crazy, that could hurt the baby!" She snapped.

"It might," Carlisle nodded, "And we don't have anything that can cut through skin like hers, like a hybrid's."

Rebecca pressed her lips together tightly until the turned white. "_Ho qualche cosa…_" She muttered, standing up and walking over to the corner of her room where I had placed her backpack and pup when we first arrived. _"Non so… é pericoloso, specificatamente per sua… Bella, non la bambina…_" She continued to mumble under her breath. "_Credo che lei… no, é una idea stupido."_ She grabbed the backpack.

"What? What idea?" I asked softly. She turned, her expression was as if she were having an internal debate.

"_Non mi fido di nessuno... _with this..." She whispered, looking at the floor, she grasped an object wrapped in white cotton that stuck out of the backpack a few inches. With a flourish, she pulled it free. "There is nothing that cuts through vampire skin, correct?" She looked at Carlisle.

"Of… of course, there's nothing." He nodded.

Rebecca nodded quickly, "But I'm different, the child is different."

"I've tried everything, every surgical instrument." Carlisle said.

Rebecca sighed, "I am _not_ recommending anything be done with this… but in case it is needed to get the baby out when it's ready…" She was talking mostly to herself, but we were all listening carefully. She walked back over, the object wrapped in cloth in her hands. _"Ció é un cosa mostruoso e cattivo…_" Her lip trembled and she turned it in her hands, "The owner of this… was… my brother." She said slowly, she shook her head vigorously, like she was trying to clear her thoughts, "_Quel figlio di puttana…_" She cursed under her breath.

She set the object down on the table.

Carlisle looked at is quizzically, then her, then back. "What is it?"

Rebecca took a deep breath, "I'm not… quiet sure, it's not normal," Her voice wavered, "like it has a mind of its own… it _wants_ to hurt people."

"For Christ's sake, it's an inanimate object!" Emmett exclaimed, "I mean jeez, so what if it was your brothers? Did he cut your pony-tail off with it or something when you were two or do you just hate him for no reason?"

_Wham!_

Rebecca punched Emmett straight across his face. The chair he was sitting in broke, and the corner of the table that Rebecca's other hand was gripping was inches from breaking into pieces. Emmett was pushed into Rosalie, and looked at Rebecca, astounded. She'd never been hostile to any of us before. Now, she was beyond livid.

The corner of the table shattered into tiny splinters, both of her hands curled into tight fists. She trembled in place, her eyes glowing, the candles in the mantle place flaring up and down, roaring with energy.

She leaned closer to my brother,

"Don't _ever_ mention my brother again." She snarled furiously. Her eyes were several shades darker, Jasper was on his feet and stepped between her and me.

Carlisle stood up, and placed his hand on her shoulder trying to reason with her. She brushed his hand off, it would have shattered every bone in a humans hand, wrist and maybe arm. I saw her press her forefingers to her temple and heard her hiss.

"I… need to go… for a minute." She spat out, and bolted out of the room like a wild animal.

She didn't go far, I heard the near-silent tap of her combat boots on the roof.

"That didn't go well." I muttered, sliding back into my chair and gazing at the white cloth. Carlisle sighed,

"Perhaps we should leave the subject of family alone when it comes to Rebecca." He said.

Dylan leaned back in her chair, "She hates him." He said slowly.

"Who?"

"Rebecca, she hates her brother." Dylan said.

"How do you know?" I asked, how could he know that.

"The way she looked when she said brother. She cursed his name, and looked plain _angry_ at the mention of him. Something must have happened between them." He nodded slightly.

Carlisle seemed pensive, "Not unlikely."

"I'm gonna go talk to her." Dylan said, stood up, and left before I could tell him how _bad_ that idea was.

The white fabric on the table drew my attention. What could be so bad, so evil, that Rebecca wouldn't speak about it? How could whatever this was actually cut through I pulled at the cotton fabric, which fell away freely from the object. It was a gleaming blade, dark and abnormal black. It glinted, almost in a silvery way. There was an odd stain on the tip.

Blood.

It smelled like Rebecca.

****^^Sadly, I have not yet figured out how to make page breaks…***************^^****************

**Rebecca**-

I was fuming. Fuming actually doesn't cover it. And I didn't even understand why! Just… the mention of _him_ in a joking manor, like we had grown up together and actually love each other…

No. He tried to kill me.

Bastard.

All I wanted was a normal family, some people like me to call my own. But they had to be crazy, sadistic killers. Not only that, they nearly cut my throat when I tried to leave. My own 'father' held a sword against my neck.

I've been a good person, I was nice, I was happy, I was calm, naive…

I'll never forgive them. _Ever_. They ruined everything, I'll never trust anyone again. And Garret, _him too_, I can't look someone in the eyes anymore. How soon before they turn on me? No, I'll avoid that. There are no friends in this world, simply acquaintances who fall in and out of usefulness.

A quickly pattering Celtic song played on my iPod. I couldn't. Quickly, I changed it. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, why did I always lose everything that really mattered, but manage to keep sad reminders that just brought back the hurt?

"I see your face in another light…" I sang quietly, "Why'd you have to go and let it die? In too deep and out of time…" I could drown out the world with music. It broke the silence when there was nothing else, when there was no _one_ else.

_A simple man and his blushing bride,_

_Why'd you have to go and let it die?_

_Heart's gone cold, your hands were tied._

_Why'd you have to go and let it die?_

_In too deep and out of time…_

"Do you ever think of me, you're so considerate… oh so considerate." I sang at the moon, leaning back on the cold black roof. The warmth it had absorbed from the sun long passed, "Beautiful veins and blood-shot eyes, why'd you have to go and let it die? Why'd you have to go and let this die?"

The Foo-Fighters were artists in my opinion. I really loved them, even in Italy where they were not as popular. That's what inspired me to learn music, and lead me to guitar. I wanted to play those notes, meaningful, expressive. I wanted to create music, be independent. Aro wouldn't allow it, it was my secret.

The song changed.

_I wanted something better, man,_

_I wished for something new,_

_I wanted something beautiful,_

_And wished for something true,_

"Been looking for a reason, man, something to lose. When the wheels come down…"

_When the wheels touchdown,_

"And you feel like it's all over, there's another round for you…"

_I know you're head is spinning,_

_Broken hearts will mend,_

_This is our beginning,_

_Coming to an end_

I felt tears in the corners of my eyes. What am I going to do with what's left of my life? I can't talk about my past, I can't. How can I trust someone with a secret that I know would make them run? Besides, I've got the freaking royal family of death stalking me, so do I want people to know who I actually am?

Hell freaking no.

I leaned back further, so I was actually lying on the tilted roof, my arms folded over my stomach. Stars high up in the sky created a black canopy with holes punched in it. There were so many stars, so many trying to outshine the next. Just like people… so caught up in being the best, being the prettiest, the smartest. But, wasn't it the dimmer stars that were so much more unique? I hope so. Maybe that would mean there was hope for me too. Sometimes, even in a room filled with hundreds of people, shoving this way and that…

I felt completely alone.

Every promise that had been made to me, every single one… has fallen through. Each bond of trust broken, is everything a lie?

"Hey."

I leapt to my feet and threw the speaker against the roof. Without even thinking, in a split second I was straddling him, one hand on his neck.

My jaw dropped.

"Dylan?"

He blinked, "Uh… yeah."

I jerked back, and sat a few feet farther away than necessary. My heart was racing, why? There's no danger, he was just being stupid. "What do you want?" I asked, it came out sharper than I had intended.

"A normal life." He said with a calm shrug. His answer surprised me, off all his family, he was among the more quiet. He smiled at random times, and tried to always be helpful.

"You and me both." I muttered, looking out at the sky but not actually looking.

"You can trust us, you know." He said softly.

What do I say? What I want to say is not what I think I should. My heart is aching, my head is spinning, I _want_ that company, that person who can help you when you have lost faith in yourself. But how has that played out for me so far? Pain and memories crashed around me, sadness made my throat ache and close slightly, tears threatened my eyes. How many times have I heard 'I promise'? Wouldn't that have been enough to learn?

To learn everyone lies…

What good do people find in each other? Simply, misery must love company.

_Tell me everything is going to be okay, I don't care if it's a lie anymore!_

No, no more lies! I can't take the disappointment! _I can't take the lies, the let downs, I've given up on trying, on hoping._

"_Never stop trying Bex, even when there's no chance, just keep fighting, promise me, okay?"_

Brother, where are you now? Please, don't hate me Felix, I love you. I miss you so much. I squeeze my eyes shut, I want so badly to tell him, but how can I? I don't want to face my story, sharing it would be impossible. Trusting is for those who have no secrets between each other. Secrets like dark stains on a conscious.

My stomach hurts, is that normal? I wrap my arms tightly around myself and fold inward, _keep it together_.

"_Never fall Becca, never fall, never fail, never ever give up, I will always be here for you. I promise."_

Why did you have me leave, you lied!

I rested my forehead on my knees, feeling a tear slide down my cheek. Too much, too much, I can't bear it. All the happiness I believed I could find, I believed in William, in Luke, in Arin and Hannah. But I was nothing to them, cut loose like a piece of cloth from a broken sail. Why do I always find myself drifting by myself?

I felt a hand on my shoulder, why was he comforting me? I don't understand.

I don't care.

I sobbed, the edge I've been sliding past so is now what I gaze up at on the way down. The memories, too much, it's too much. _Help me, I feel weak, like a child, like I have nothing left_. I cannot form words. Do I even want to? More tears spill over and streak down my cheeks. I lean into him, not caring if he gets up and leaves me any second, as long as I have now.

But he doesn't leave, instead, he stays. Dylan wrapped his arms around me tightly, I felt a long breath leave me, like I had carried it all the way from Italy.

"It's okay." He said softly, "It'll be alright, I'm not leaving, you can trust me." His words were like a glimmer of light. My mind and heart were collapsing in on themselves, and here he was holding me and telling me everything would be fine.

"How?" I managed, "They're all gone, every single one, I don't even know if they're alive anymore…" Surely my father had died, his heart condition had gotten worse after my mother's disappearance. And my mother? I'd found nothing, Annalise and Connie? Benjamin and Tia? Senator Pierce, his daughter, how were they?

"Who?" He asked.

Indeed, Rebecca, who? Are you going to tell him? Tell her you were _Athena Volturi_, tell him you've killed vampires, wolves, and humans? That your family is a group of monsters?

I curled myself closer to him, _please don't run away from me_.

The tighter I closed my eyes, the more the memories flashed behind my eyelids. The dancing fire, the faces of those who had fought me, and those whom I had attacked myself. All the fights I barely got through, all the training I struggled with, dancing around in my mind.

I clenched my jaw, "I'm not like any of you." I attempted to stay steadily, "I'm not like any normal kind of creature." I let out a shaky breath, "But there's more to it, I done really… _terrible_ things."

"Everyone does things for a reason, you did what you thought was right." He insisted, without me even telling him what I had done.

I laughed darkly, "So then killing, torturing, is that excusable if it were in the name of some 'good' cause?" I rubbed my temples in frustration, feeling so disgusted, like I wanted to get away from _myself_, "In this country, if a man shoots another man, even if he was raised to believe the other man should die, if he was brainwashed, threatened, trained, even if all this is true, the man still goes to jail for being a murderer."

"If that man was forced to kill the other person, then the people pulling the strings are the ones who are punished." Dylan corrected.

"Blood is a stain on the conscious." I muttered bitterly.

"Talking helps."

"Not if it scares everyone off."

He chuckled, "Oh? Try me."

I repositioned myself so I could see his face, the moon was behind him, causing the edge of his hair to have a glowing silver look. "When I was ten years old I met my mother for the first time, she wanted to kill me. Nothing personal of course." I sniffed, "The next day, a newborn was apprehended by the Guard, she looked like my mother. I lost it, she was ashes in seconds."

Dylan leaned back, "It was your job as a Volturi… it's understandable."

"_HOW IS UNDERSTANDIBLE TO KILL AND TORTURE AND HURT PEOPLE!_" I shrieked. He blinked,

"Rebecca," He said softly, "everyone in the world is capable of forgiveness, everyone is capable of trust, compassion, understanding the strife of others. People forgive, forget… except you." He sighed sadly, "You have to forgive yourself, being guilty won't do a thing."

Even if I could forget what _I'd _done, how could I forget what _they_ had done to _me?_

I squeezed his hand in mine once, he squeezed back, "I'm not leaving you know." He said, "You can't scare me off."

My breath came out in a shaky rush, I glanced out at the stary sky, "You'd be surprised what people say, and don't mean."

He leaned back slightly, so that though I was leaning against him, I was sitting sideways compared to him. "I know, trust me." He said, with a biting dark tone to his voice.

"What happened?" I asked quietly, looking up at him. He smiled slightly,

"I didn't have a perfect human childhood." He said simply, "But neither did you."

I looked at the floor, I mean roof, "You could say that." My arms curled a little tighter around my knees. Dylan was still holding onto my hand, which he raised and looked at. The twisting, snaking burn-scars created patterns from my finger tips to forearm. His eyes narrowed slightly, jaw clenched. I felt myself shrink back slightly, why was he angry?

"Did someone do this to you?" He asked through his teeth, trying to keep his voice level.

"In a way." I whispered. I tried to pull my arm back, which only resulted in my sleeve sliding up my arm. The v-shaped brand on my arm glimmered slightly in the pale moon-light. My throat stuck, what did I have to say about that?

"Why?"

"To make sure I wouldn't run away."

I pulled my arm back and slid my sleeve down. I hate short sleeve shirts, even if it had longer sleeves than normal, I preferred full-length for a reason. Dylan's eyes were dancing with a sad kind light, he simply looked at me. There was pity in his gaze, and… longing?

"I used to be one of them, we had to think and act as one, I had to be as little human as possible. All of the fighting, all of the hate and anger, it was like a storm. I couldn't process it. It became too much, Felix could see that, my brother," I said fondly, "and he planned for me to escape. I was never strong enough to be a member of the Guard. But then, I never wanted to be one anyway."

We sat in silence for a long time. I relished his company, hoping that he would actually stay, and not leave, disappear into nothingness as everything else had. The wind would occasionally swirl around us, the scents of deep earth melding with that of the woodland creatures. I remembered the nights I spent in the dark woods of Canada. The twisted pines casting never ending shadows, how music was a constant companion. I remembered how Garrett pried out of me my passion for music, and the fact that my former family taught me to play the flute to please them. I never told him it was the Volturi. But I did tell him I hadn't played since, because the sound of the flute alone would bring back memories I didn't want to relive.

A wolf howled in the distance, automatically, I flipped to my feet, hands pushing off the ground landing silently.

'_Howl if there's trouble._'

With one sleeve, I smeared the tears on my cheek away. I've never felt fear for an attack once in my life. I have been taught, trained, hurt, beaten, surprised, ambushed, broken, tortured, captured, rescued, fought, found victory in light of losses…

I live for the rush of power that you can only find deep within yourself. The feeling that you have reached your limits, and you push further, discover you are stronger than you thought… that is what makes me fly.

And maybe, it's the one thing I know I can do right.

Tactics, reflexes, thought, care, calculations, remaining cool unpressured, staying composed and undaunted, facing impending pain with a smirk and glinting eyes, confidence, intelligence, brilliance, swift deliberation, and even ruthlessness. In these traits finds a different kind of soul, someone who can walk the narrow road of war with a grin.

So long as they are amongst those who are loyal, so long as those among them do not harm them emotionally, and end the stoic charisma of their daily life.

Life has ups and downs, but I will not be a victim to the falls. I carry the Medachi name, the pride of having trained with the most elite fighters in the vampire world, the title of being the only one to escape their grasps without their approval, and I am also the little girl who cries when she hears a lullaby. Balance, it is all a balancing act. I won't lose myself, they can't make me be someone who I'm not.

I pushed off the roof, the ground moving towards me at an easy pace.

"You okay?" Alice whispered in my ear when I hit the ground. Dylan landed next to me, standing a little closer than I would have allowed before. But the warmth he was radiating made me feel whole again.

"Now." I muttered back.

"Jasper, Emmett, in front." Edward barked out quickly, looking stressed and ashen. His eyes flickered to me, "Thank you for your concern." He ground out.

I tilted my head to one side, "I didn't think you could read my mind." I said,

"Can't, but Jasper can still feel what you're feeling." How annoying.

The boy, Jacob, shared a silent conversation with Edward in his wolf-form, then he nodded.

"They had a talk with a few of the other pack. Sam wants Seth and Leah to come back, but they're not going to." Edward explained. "They're not planning on attacking _us_ anytime soon as far as Seth could tell but…" He lowered his gaze to me, "The less the pack knows about you the better." He said.

"Why?" I asked.

"You were on their land, so they had every right to attack you, but know you're with us, so technically you're part of the treaty, which would mean you _broke_ the treaty when you were on their land, even if you didn't know about it." He said rapidly, "It can be argued either way, but I'm sure it's a headache we'd all like to avoid."

Great, more wolves that don't like me, I thought sourly.

"So no one's attacking?" Emmett asked.

"No, thank God." Edward sighed.

"Darn." He muttered. I glanced at him curiously. He reminded me a little bit of Felix, though Felix spoke Italian, was taller, wiser and more of an older-brother to me.

**Tada! I'm baaaaaccckk! Haha, dead from rowing camp though…**

**So, yeah, never trust a wolf, except the cute fluffy ones. They're just so adorable! I hope that gave you a little insight into how I'm trying to have Rebecca's character grown a little bit. Maybe a little bit of clue about the future as well, ;)**

**No objections to DxR, right? Eh, might not be a little while before anything happens, cuz I feel like Rebecca isn't the 'puppy-eye gooey love' kind of person, and I hope you agree with me.**


	21. Chapter 20 Painting Crimson

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 20- Painting Crimson**

**Rebecca POV:**

After that the wolf-incident, things became a little more calm. My arrival had apparently stirred things up quite a bit according to Alice. In addition, she insisted that I not sleep on the floor again. I didn't really mind the floor, it was soft, compared to say _dirt_.

But, the guest room where I had woken up my first day here seemed much more appealing after Alice threatened to drag me to the mall for a shopping trip. I shudder to think of what she would have planned for a shopping trip. As it was, she gave me a few tee-shirts and two pairs of jeans after a lot of protesting from me. It was so awkward to be receiving gifts from someone, though they weren't even 'gifts', simply charity. After all, what had I done for their family? And what was I doing to pay them back?

Right, nothing.

Gee, now I just feel great, I rolled my eyes as Alice kept insisting things like 'no trouble at all'. Yes, Alice was welcoming, yes she was kind, yes she was absolutely hyper, warm, open, and amazing. But there are those who aren't. And in the words of the ones who knew me best,

"Drifting is the specialty, socializing is the difficulty, making connections is pretty much never, and surprises are guaranteed."

How I begin to miss my family at times where I must live amongst those who have their own.

I lay back on the soft bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time. The moonlight seeped in through closed blinds. Tired, my eyelids began to drift shut. The lines thrown about the room by the shades began to bend and dance. Dazed, I blinked once, and began to open to my eyes to blink again, but simply found myself dropping into the world of dreams.

The painted silver line, with a beginning and end began expanding and my vision panned out as the line ran for the non-existent horizon, darkening to the color of earth. I found myself suddenly on my feet, like the whole time I had been slowly exhaling, and now miraculously could suck in a sharp breath. My mind was flooded with sensory perception.

There was a wind tugging in all directions, my hair tangled around my face. The pale blue sky kissed the earth far, far away, the flat dirt went on as far as I could see in every direction. The smell of recent rain, and ash filled my nose. It didn't make sense, like a forest had burnt to the ground on this spot and nothing remind, but someone sweet spring rain embraced the earth beneath my feet not so long ago. The shriek of a bird above me drew my attention, it turned my head to see it fly into the sphere of the sun, casting shadows on the ground, growing larger as it neared me. Finally, diving it flapped it's wings twice and landed on my outstretched arm, wings in.

I reached out to stroke it's regal feathers, gingerly, slowly. The bird ripped into flames.

"Look what you've done!"

The sky darkened, my arm was out in front of me, still outstretched. The sun seemed to wither and die on the horizon. My body felt cold around me in the dream. The stars, though it had been day a second ago, began to slowly blink out. With each star that winked out, I felt as though a tiny pin pricked my heart. Pain started to lap at my mind, I heard the sounds of a violin smashing into the ground. Visions of red eyes danced around in my head.

On the ground, when did I get on the ground?

"Rebecca."

The mist, the dizziness and grey is gone in a snap. I am on my feet.

"M… mom…?" I whisper, unsure.

The woman tilts her head to one side. Her black hair catches the wind, but red eyes never leave mine. Her lips twisted into a smile that made my skin crawl. Sick.

"Is that really who I am to you, Rebecca?" She asked quietly, her voice a chilling soprano. "Your… mother? Didn't you kill my likeness on the spot, she did seem so much like me to you after all, didn't she? Damnit girl, the only thing Gabriella ever did wrong was look like me!"

I stepped back, "N-no! What? No, I never wanted to… mom, I just… was, I couldn't! I thought you wanted to kill me, you… you…" I stammered, horrified.

"I what, Rebecca? I don't understand? Hm, let's see, I gave birth to you, I _died_ for you. I live and eternity of nothingness for you, and I never intended for any of it to happen." She said coldly.

"You don't know what it's like," I whispered harshly, "To grow up _without_ a mother, to be stripped of everything in life!"

"Ah," She nodded, "Yes, how you left my poor husband."

"_Left him!_" I demanded, "I was nearly killed!"

She regarded me bitterly, "You're entire life you were nearly dead Rebecca. You don't get it, do you? You were supposed to die. You aren't supposed to be alive."

I stumbled back, away from her as she leaned towards me. She morphed into someone else, a grey cloak draped over her shoulders.

"But I can fix that, can't I, master?" A sweet and familiar voice asked. Jane smirked down at me.

"Jane? Jane, no it's me!" I pleaded, she smiled,

"Oh, Becca, you don't understand. You're not one of us, you're _human_, expendable. Why should we care? We never really did you see, you were just a tool, a fun little toy." Jane smiled wickedly at me. I'd seen it before, but she had always been in front of me, protecting me, threatening the person who was the danger. Now, it was _I _who was being threatened, the person on the receiving end.

"Jane, Jane… Jane, _please_," I begged, "Jane, you're my sister, I love you, _my sister_, please!" I was crying, why was I crying? Why was I begging?

Jane smirked down at me, "You always told me that my gift was for a reason, didn't you?" She whispered in my ear.

Pain. Blinding, splitting, searing, burning _pain_.

Stop, stop, make it stop! The thoughts are loud and clear in my mind, but cannot break free to my lips, I collapse to my knees, head in my hands. Every thought, every memory and feeling, swirls in my mind like an inferno, briefly in front of my eyes then painfully shredding itself apart. Like someone poured gasoline on my psyche and lit a match.

"_Ahi!"_ Finally, a shriek breaks the silence, I can see nothing, feel nothing but pain. What is around me?

"Had enough?" I heard Jane ask.

Air rushed into my lungs. I was lying on my side, I shuddered, feeling completely helpless.

"Why?" I croaked.

I heard her sniff, "I've never liked weaklings, traitors." She mused, "You were always soft. Pity."

Something cracked, loudly. Demitri, his dark hair hung in his face, eyes bright with amusement. His foot presses down on my leg. I squirm, try to pull away. He steps down harder, and draws a shriek from me.

"Oh, this could be fun." He smirks.

Like a trapdoor, everything spirals into blackness. Peaceful.

"Rebecca…" A quieter voice. Annalise,

"Oh, 'lise!" I run to wrap my arms around her. She's stiff, doesn't move, confused, I step back. "Annalise…?"

"Didn't they tell you?" Her eyes were dark, "Tell you not to talk to strangers?"

Everything slowed down, Annalise wasn't the loving girl I knew. Her face was older, wrinkled, hideous, she had long yellow fangs like daggers. It was something out of a separate chapter of my horror-movie of a life. The girl I knew ripped into werewolf.

My world, slowly, memory by memory was being torn apart. How can you fight what you love? A pale blur leapt between me and the wolf. The two collided, and the wolf flew backwards. They both disappeared.

"You deserve it." The ghostly face of Garrett already fading into darkness, "Lying bitch." He glanced at the vampire who had saved me, fighting the wolf, then faded more, "But you don't deserve him."

"No! Garrett, please!" I shouted, trying to find him.

"You can trust me."

Dylan. Dylan, was fighting the wolf.

"_YOU DON'T DESERVE HIM! Or anyone! You liar, TRAITOR!"_

"I… what… you, but… _look out!_" The wolf leapt forward.

The entire dream ripped into flames.

"Can I trust you?" His voice broke on the last word. Then, the wolf fell on him.

"No, no! Dylan!" I lunged forward, my hands grasped at nothing more than smoke. "_No!"_

I shrieked. Fear, terror, pain, sadness, loss. All voiced in that cry.

I felt a pair of cool hands on my shoulder,

"Rebecca, Becca! Wake up!"

I jolted upright, feeling cold wet tears still sliding down my cheeks. A pair of liquid butterscotch eyes was on inches in front of my face. Dylan. My heart was still racing. Something was off, the dream had seemed so real. I shivered involuntarily, and curled into Dylan without a second thought.

_Screw it, just hold me._

"What happened?" I whispered, one of my hands twisted in my hair, the other arm wrapped around my knees. An unnatural sense of terror had a hold on my heart like iron chains. Everything had come back at once, mom, Gabriella, Jane, Demitri, Annalise and Connie, the wolves… Garrett… _Dylan_.

"You were… screaming." Dylan said slowly, "In your sleep."

I squeezed my eyes shut, but couldn't force out the images of the fire, the death and destruction. Some caused by me personally.

_Could you please call an ambulance…?_

_Resist, resist it!_

_No, can't… I caved, the _taste_._

I gasped.

My throat ripped into flames, agony. I was painfully aware of the living creatures downstairs, including Bella, the mutts and my Savel.

"Don't let me move." I hissed through my teeth, barely hanging onto the tiny shred of control I possessed. Having only dealt with actual thirst only one time in my life, I had almost no control. Especially considering that one time resulted in my slaughtering someone.

"What…?" Dylan started to ask. I looked up, he must have seen something in my eyes because he stiffened. In a split second, he pinned me to the ground. "_JASPER!_" He hollered, good thing to. I can't even begin to describe how badly I wanted to run downstairs and _kill every breathing creature_. Air whistling down my throat wasn't helping, it felt desert dry.

I was fighting myself, trying not to go instinctually aggressive on Dylan, but I could feel that just slipping away like water flowing down river.

"_HELP!" _Dylan shouted the moment he felt me begin to struggle against him.

_Can he hold me? _I thought desperately, oh god, oh god…

Without my permission, a snarl ripped from my throat and my back arched, tucking my knees into my stomach. I rocked back, then exploded forward, slamming both feet squarely into his chest.

_No! Stop that! He cares, don't hurt him, STOP IT!_

Tearing myself apart.

I was on my feet, trembling in place, _resist!_ Can't. I leaned towards the door and felt myself start to run.

"_NO!_" Dylan slammed into me from the side. The floor beneath us splintered as we both struggled to gain the upper hand. It hurt so badly, knowing I was actually fighting him, but I couldn't stop. I could _hear_ the heartbeats down there… I _needed_ it…

Another pair of arms slammed me down, and another.

"Sorry, we were out." Emmett ground out to Dylan as I tried to throw them off me. Dylan was practically straddling me, his hands clamped down _hard_ around my arms, Emmett had his forearm pressed down on my neck and Jasper was trying to keep me from kicking all of them in the face.

Concentrated waves of calm were radiating off the walls, but it wasn't exactly helping. I couldn't hold my breath anymore and inhaled. The pain was terrible, my head whipped back with a howl of agony.

"Don't breathe!" Jasper snarled lowly,

"Not an option idiot!" I panted out, "I gotta breathe!"

_Ahhh! I can't stand this!_

Someone got to close, I didn't even know who. But I bit them without even registering the thought first. Emmett jerked back with a loud curse, Dylan's grip got tighter. Too effortlessly, I flipped him over, so he was pinned underneath _me_, and hissed loudly, baring my teeth.

Jasper wrapped one arm around my neck and jerked me backwards. The floor cracked as we hit the ground. My vision lit up with light. "Not likely." He snarled in my ear. I thrashed and kicked, but he held his grip. Eventually Dylan and Emmett were back from their daze to help, and they had me pinned down more securely.

I could do no more than fidget and strain against them in my agony. Jasper instructed me to hold my breath as long as possible. But when I started to get dizzy, Dylan demanded I breath.

A low, longing moan slipped from my teeth, my entire body shuddered, "Ahhhhhhh…" I whimpered.

Edward stormed in, "_You_," He said scathingly, "You _said_ you'd never_ killed a human_ before!" He snapped. "You were going to hurt Bella! No _doubt!_ There was no hint of control in your mind!"

My lips trembled. How can I answer to that? The room was silent. Dylan's eyes widened,

"Don't loosen your grip, she's not in control." Edward said quickly.

My throat burned, still I was crying. I wanted to kill, and still I was regretting. Shit, this is tearing me apart!

"I didn't mean to." I croaked out. Edward's eyes softened slightly out of pity, I wanted to cry and run away. "I'm sorry." I whispered, my voice breaking.

"Okay, every calm down." Jasper said softly, his death-grip on my neck loosened, the calm began to eat away at the raging thirst. He gave a pointed glance to Edward, who pursed his lips before turning to leave. I was so ashamed. "Emmett, let go." Jasper said slowly. Cautiously, Emmett stepped back, his eyes never leaving mine, "Dylan?"

I made the mistake of meeting his eyes. He looked confused and… _crushed_. I winced. Please, please, don't let him leave me, I need him.

I might as well just go ahead and fucking admit it, seeing as I'm probably losing him.

I _need_ Dylan.

Jasper let go, I slumped on the ground. A sob racked my body. Dylan leaned forward, hesitantly and wrapped his arms around me. I clung to his shirt desperately and felt him hold onto me as well.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I repeated miserably. He just nodded and let out a long sigh,

"It's okay, no one here can really hold it against you."

I took me about an hour of just sitting there with Dylan and Jasper before Edward would let me leave the room. Well, I didn't actually leave, I was simply told that I could.

Needless to say, I was feeling like shit, not having gotten much sleep, and then getting my ass beat by the three brothers. Dylan, Emmett and Jasper were all down stairs with Bella. Discussing. Edward wasn't too thrilled with me, seeing as I wanted to (briefly) kill his wife. In all fairness, I apologized, he accepted, everyone understood and sort of brushed it off. But it was different for me, because… I felt like I didn't have the excuse of actually being a vampire. How can they say it was natural, expected, if I wasn't even like them? I should have half the thirst, so how is it I still caved?

It didn't take away the guilt of being a murderer, and now everyone knew. Because Alice had a vision of me telling her, and Edward heard it, and then told everyone…

I glowered at the ceiling, what am I?

I don't even know, can't say for sure. An uneasy breath made its way into my pillow. I heard a low scratching noise, as my pup pawed the door open. She ran over and hopped on the bed next to me. I sighed as she curled up in my open arms. I buried my face in her warm fur.

She whined, and pushed her muzzle into my shoulder.

I sighed inwardly, Sav yipped impatiently. I frowned at her, "_Che?_" I asked sourly. She grabbed a large chunk of my hair between her teeth and leapt off the bead.

"OW!" I yelled and jumped up, running after her.

**Dylan-**

I wasn't really all there, when my brothers and I were talking. I kept on seeing her face, frozen and terrified right before she told me to not let her attack Bella. She knew. How did she know? How did she hold it together long enough to tell me that. I was never that I control during my newborn years, in fact, Carmen specifically kept anything living hundreds of miles away from me.

Jasper looked like he was in pain, he glanced at me, "Hm, took you a while to come back to earth." He commented dryly. "She's having problems." Jasper jerked his head up at the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" I demanded shortly. Problems? Like she was flawed? I glowered at him, there wasn't anything wrong with her.

"Not that," He rolled his eyes at me with an exasperated tone, "I mean she's _tired_ and _confused_, bitter, angry, depressed, whatever other words you want to thrown in there."

I folded my arms over my chest uncomfortably. Somehow, I already knew that. But there wasn't much I felt that I could do. In my human life, I'd never had 'girl problems'… so the idea of trying to comfort a girl was alien to me. I didn't exactly know where to begin. In high school, the boys I hung around rarely bothered to try to talk to girls, much less _understand _them. We used to refer to them as a completely different species… In all honesty, we pulled pranks on them, teased them, found other immature ways of amusing ourselves before heading out to cut classes and grab a smoke behind the gym.

I mean, really, my buddy Nick would trip girls in the hallways and make bets on what color underwear she was wearing when she fell over and her skirt flew up. In hindsight… that was not a very good thing to do.

Edward laughed, "Are you serious?" He chuckled,

"Oh, stop acting all high-and-mighty," I said shortly, "Just 'cause your mom raised you with manners doesn't mean anyone who wasn't is abnormal."

Alice cracked up, "You tripped girls in the hallway so you could see what color underwear they were wearing?"

I sighed in annoyance, "That was Nick, not me and we were in eight grade!" It seemed a weaker defense than I intended.

Alice laughed a little more, "Human boys and their antics."

"Because I was the only one who was a normal human." I muttered sarcastically. Jasper looked thoughtful for a second,

"Jazz?" Alice asked,

"Well… I certainly was that rude to ladies," Jasper said, "But I do remember throwin' mud all at our neighbors boy 'cuz he was a Yankee. Me an' my friends tried to run him out of town before his father blew a fuse." Jasper mused, Alice gasped and whacked the back of his head lightly.

"Meanie!" She scolded.

"He was a Yankee in our town… an' I didn't want no stinkin' Union wannabe messing up things around my family." Jasper grumbled in self-defense. Alice sighed and flung herself on the couch, sprawled out across her mate's lap. She rolled her head sideways and looked at me, as I was sitting on the carpet.

"You love her." Alice said quietly.

My non-existent blood ran cold.

"W-…what?" I managed. Alice only nodded seriously,

"You know I'm right. You hate being away from her, don't you?" She asked softly,

I sat up straighter. Love? As in… well, _love_? I don't 'love' her, I can't… that's impossible. She's… well… she's… _violent_ and closed off, she wouldn't trust anyone, much less _love_ someone. Most people find it comfortable to talk to me, that's just how I am. People seem more relaxed around me, but not her. She barely told me anything, no matter what I tried. I _wanted_ her to be happy, yet she still pushed me away, and everyone else.

I could still hear her screaming at night.

She still cried and had flashbacks.

She would still avoid certain conversations and seemed to shut down at the mention of certain things.

Some part of me was pulled towards her, I didn't want to leave her. "I do..." I finally said,

"And you would do anything to keep her safe?"

"I would."

"Well then…" Alice smiled, "There you go."

"Not that simple." I groaned and leaned back until I was lying flat on the carpet.

"How so?" Alice questioned.

"It just… isn't." I growled lowly.

"Why not?" Bella asked shyly, I glanced up at her and she blushed, "I didn't mean to pry."

"It's fine, seems like everyone does." I grumbled, "It isn't that simple because she isn't that simple, Alice. Hell, we don't even speak the same language."

"She speaks English." Alice offered.

"We don't have the same first language." I muttered,

"That's romantic though, because communication is best expressed in feelings not words." Bella offered. I sighed, Bella was smart. She was far younger than me, but seemed wiser for some reason. My sister was very caring and benevolent, though her lack of self-preservation was sometimes dumbfounding. I wasn't sure what to make of her situation, but with Rebecca helping, maybe she would get the baby like she wanted.

Suddenly, the little fuzzy black wolf pup jumped off the ground and sat at attention, ears pricked forward.

"What's it saying, Seth?" Emmett asked off-handedly

"Ehhhh…" Seth tilted his head to one side and scrunched up his nose, "I'm I supposed to answer that question?"

The wolf turned quickly and locked eyes with Bella, who blinked in surprise. It whined loudly.

Jasper sat forward, which made Alice sit up. His brow pulled together in confusion, "It's… trying to tell you something." Jasper said skeptically.

Savel barked loudly and spun around, shooting up the stairs like a rocket (well, for a wolf of course, but she was fairly speedy).

"That was weird." Bella muttered,

"Says human girl who is idly sipping away at a cup of blood." Emmett chuckled.

"OOOWWWWW!" We all heard the yell from upstairs. This was followed by the sound of running footsteps.

Rebecca scrambled down the stairs, with her pup towing her by her long hair.

"Sav!" Rebecca hissed and pulled the dog away from her by the hemp collar. She stood up straight and smiled theatrically, "Well, how's life for all of you?"

Bella actually giggled quietly, some inside joke or something. This caused her to knock over the cup of blood she was holding in her hand.

Multiple hands lunged forward to grab it,

"I'll get i-… _ah_!" Bella began to say, but there was a sudden tearing sound and her breath rushed out in a gasp.

The cup hit the ground, dark liquid spilling all over the ground.

Bella gasped for breath, Edward flew to her side in a panic.

The mutts stood up, Jacob shouted something.

Jasper covered his nose and cringed, he leapt up to run out of the room.

Rosalie and Emmett sprung to their feet. Rose shouted that Carlisle wouldn't be back for hours.

Alice froze in place, a horrified look plastered on her face.

Bella convulsed suddenly, and choked out an ear shattering shriek.

The scent of blood was thick in the air, I felt my eyes widen, felt every muscle in my body lock in position. Don't move. Don't breath. Savel was barking loudly, Rebecca stood five feet away from me, forming a triangle between with Bella, herself and I. She looked terrified, small… like she was suddenly remembering something that took her many years back to her childhood.

Then, she rushed forward,

"She's going to stop breathing." She said rapidly, with a voice like steal, "If you want either of them to live, get the baby out now, _then worry about her_. She'll live."

I hope.

Nobody moved. She shot a glower so venomous and icy at my brother that it probably would have killed a normal human being, "What are you waiting for _cretino?_"

**Cliffy, but guess what happens. Sigh… I'm not re-writing the books here people, simply adding the twists. She's not gonna die…**

***Cretino means dumbass in Italian, and Che? means What?**

**Any questions on the Italian in any of the chapters? Feel free to ask me since I know that I haven't exactly been great about always putting translations. My bad, so I'm open for questions. :)**

**OKAYYYY… special alert. I HAVE A JOB AT A KIDS CAMP FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AND THERFORE WILL NOT BE UPDATING UNTIL LATER ON IN AUGUST. Don't hate me, I love you all!**

**Hope you liked the chapter, please review!**

_**Ciao**_**! That means goodbye ;)**

**-Zeri**


	22. Chapter 21 Where The Heart Is

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 21- Where The Heart Is**

**Rebecca POV-**

I reacted.

No thought.

No questioning.

No time for thinking it over.

Just action.

She's dying, the baby's dying, _I have to help_. I rushed to Bella's side, next to Edward who was already trying to figure out what was wrong, and Jacob who was debating what to do.

"She's going to stop breathing." I said as quickly as I could manage."If you want either of them to live, get the baby out now, _then worry about her_. She'll live." Nobody moved, I hissed at Edward and glared, "What are you waiting for _cretino?_" Dumbass!

"CPR?" Jacob asked.

"Go." I nodded. Jacob wasted no time,

"Get morphine!" Edward snapped.

"_Are you insane?"_ I shrieked, "There's no time!"

"Do you know that first-hand?" He sneered at me,

"As a matter of fact, I do." I snapped angrily, "And if you ask me any more questions I will pummel you _after_ I'm done SAVING YOUR WIFE'S LIFE!"

"Get the baby out!" Rosalie said, trying to get towards Bella. What I saw in her hand drew an immediate growl from me and I stepped between her and Bella.

"No." I snarled.

"What, you said yourself it cuts through your skin!" Rosalie held Luke's sword.

"Edward, use your teeth, it will be cleaner, less bleeding, better chance of her not bleeding to death." I murmured rapidly while glowering at Rosalie. "Put Luke's sword down before I take your arm off." I hissed.

"Who's Luk-"

"_NOW!"_ I roared furiously, the sword clattered to the ground and I narrowly convinced myself to not attack Rosalie.

"Keep your heart beating, you promised!" Jacob said franticly, forcing air into her lungs.

"Get the baby _out_, do it _now!_" Bella managed to shriek.

"Edward!" I yelled.

In a blur, her stomach was torn open, blood poured everywhere, another scream, something snapped. I heard a growl, and saw Rosalie's eyes turning black. She was losing it, "No!" I tackled her and sent us both flying backwards because she didn't put up any fight at all. There was blood everywhere, I could smell it, but my own blood was pounding in my ears. How could I be thirsty for any blood at all if I had a pulse? I saw Edward holding the child, and she was beautiful. I can't really tell you why, she wasn't glorious, she didn't glow, or have a halo, but I felt like somehow… I already cared about her.

"Renesmee." He breathed, shocked. So, Bella's son turned out to be a daughter. Girls were better anyway.

"Let me hold her…" Bella held her baby carefully. The baby blinked and then snuggled closer to her mother. Then she bit Bella.

"No, Renesmee." Edward scolded softly, carefully taking the baby away.

Bella screamed.

"Take the baby!" Edward told Jacob, he had to get the venom into her system before her heart stopped forever. There was nothing that could heal death, only cheat it. Jacob kept up with relentless CPR,

"Throw it out the window!" Jake huffed.

"Give her to me." Rosalie and I said at the exact same time. A snarl ripped from my throat, she was out of control less than a minute ago!

The baby was in my arms. She blinked up at me with liquid chocolate eyes, and I stood there in shock. "H-hello…" I said almost silently, the baby smiled. _Warmth_. I ran upstairs, the baby in my arms, to Carlisle's medical room and started digging through drawers. A soft blanket was in my hands, and I gently wrapped Renesmee in it. "There, all nice and warm." I cooed gently. "Are you nice and comfy, _cara mia_?" She giggled at the Italian words.

I started crying. Not sadly, but she was so beautiful. In that moment, for some reason, I wanted to be a mother.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" I heard Rosalie ask, her voice was softer than I thought it would be.

"Y-yeah, the blankets for, uh, it's to keep her warm." I exhaled unsteadily, never taking my eyes off the beautiful girl I was holding, "Babies, humans… me even, we're all um… prone to heat loss." I smeared the tear on my cheek with my wrist.

"Why are you crying?" Rose asked, her expression was softer, like she was really concerned.

"I-I don't… know." I said shakily, trying to focus on just breathing, "She's really beautiful you know, Renesmee." I muttered.

"Yeah, she's pretty special." Rose nodded, "Can I hold her?"

My eyes flicked up and bored into hers, searching for any hint of darkness in her topaz irises. I didn't see any, "Sure."

Carefully, gently, gingerly, I moved towards Rosalie, bouncing Renesmee in my arms slightly, making her smile. I felt a tiny smile on my face, and more tears.

"Bex, what's wrong?" Rosalie asked.

"I'm just a little…" I started, "I hope Bella will be okay. I hope Renesmee grows up in a perfect family, with a loving mother and a father whose always there for her." I choked out, "I'm happy for her. For Bella. She's got this… amazing child, wonderful, she's got exactly what she wanted." I felt my arms tremble.

Rosalie took the baby from my arms, and it felt incredibly empty, and black for a second. Then, she carefully set the baby down on a plush pillow and did something that surprised me. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. I cried.

"I'm sorry." Rosalie said sincerely, "I'm so sorry that you had to go through a childhood without your parents. I'm sorry that you've had to go through and experience terrible things. And I'm sorry that it's hard for you to trust and connect with people." She stepped back, "But I want you to know that _I trust you_, I'm not asking you to trust me, but I know you would never do anything to harm Renesmee, so I trust you. And I care about you, I want you to be happy."

"Rose…"

"Rebecca, look, I know you don't want to talk. But, I want to _thank_ you, you've helped all of us so much, and in a way I think this family owes you. You saved Bella and her baby." Rosalie's eyes were kind, and soft. Like my mothers. Like Bella's.

"I… I look at all this and I see, I see what I _had_, but different. She had everything, and she's going to live to see her child, I couldn't be happier for her." I whispered, "But there's a part of me that's wanted to _fix…_"

Rosalie blinked, she understood, "You wish you could be a good parent for your own child, too." She said.

I nodded, rubbing my temples in frustration, "I know it's messed up. How could I… after all I've done and been through, how could I raise a child in good conscious?"

Rose smiled, "Honey, if you love something, you'll find a way. And from the way you care about that child, and she isn't even yours, I think you'd be a great mom." She beamed at me.

Tears dropped onto the blanket I had wrapped Renesmee in. "That's just it. I'll never know." My throat was dry and made my voice said like croaking.

"What do you mean?" Rosalie's brow furrowed.

"It's like a sick joke." I huffed, "When I figured out that raising a child… would make me happy, and Aro found out… he told me, 'Well, that's ridiculous, you're part vampire. You don't grow and change that way.' I'm not like other girls, and that's when I found out." I said bitterly, "The day I figured out I wanted a child of my own."

"I don't understand…"

"Rose, I _can't_ have children. Just like you."

She rocked back on her heals slightly and blinked. Then, she hugged me fiercely like we were old friends.

"It'll be okay." Rose murmured soothingly.

I sniffed and leaned back against the table, "How's… how's Bella?"

Rose smiled slightly, "I think she's going to be just fine, but you know Edward, he won't leave her side until she wakes up."

"Yeah." I said quietly. Those two were like two separate pieces of one heart. Like those necklaces you could buy, where each person had one half of the heart on the chain, that's what I thought of when I saw them together. She brightened visibly when he was around, and he was droopy and depressing without her.

And Jasper and Alice, like she was his personal sun and healed him, how he loved her and comforted her. How they were perfect for each other, how she would look out for his future, and he would protect her no matter what.

Emmett and Rosalie, how his teddy-bear attitude and easygoing lifestyle had brightened her life, and helped her heal, helped her be happy. How she made him so happy, so… so love-struck and overjoyed just to be around her.

Carlisle and Esme, how he actually, _physically healed_ and saved her, and how she in turn rescued his soul, and gave him love after a long and lonely two centuries.

Benjamin and Tia, how they completed each other, thought for each other, were constantly looking out for one and other. How he would fight the world for her, and how she reigned in his wild ideas.

"Come on, let's go back downstairs. I'm pretty sure the rest of the family won't wait any longer to meet their new little girl." Rose urged gently.

"Yeah." I said dully, and watched as Rosalie cradled her so naturally, "You were meant to be a mom Rose. You'll make a great Aunt…" The words were falling out of my mouth before they fully formed in my mind.

Rose beamed, "Thank you." She hugged me briefly and then ran downstairs. I followed her, right in her shadow. "Here's Renesmee, say hi to everyone." Rosalie cooed.

"Oh!" Alice rushed forward, "Oh, she's so cute!" Alice whisked the child out of Rosalie's arms and held her, spinning her around once and making her giggle. She cradled the baby, "We have to clean the blood up before Jazz will come back, Emmett's with him."

"I'll get the bleach." Rosalie offered.

Jacob was staring at the baby, Alice hadn't noticed. "Jacob?" I waved my hand in front of his face, he growled slightly, but cut off when he looked up at me. I frowned, "Are you alright?"

"Never better." He breathed, staring intently at the baby in Alice's arms as she twirled her around. Alice froze.

"Oh my _god!_" She shrieked, "You didn't! You miserable _mutt_, how could you?" Alice was furious, I snatched the baby from her arms and the cheery little pixie slammed into Jacob. The both toppled to the ground, Rosalie was at my side in the next second. "He imprinted on Bella's baby!" Alice yelled angrily, holding Jacob by the collar of his tee-shirt.

This seem to infuriate Rosalie as well, "_WHAT?_" Her angry yell almost shook the house.

"Guys!" I called, "Guys! You're upsetting Renesmee…" The baby was squirming uncomfortably in my arms. She twisted around and deliberately stared into my eyes. With one small arm, she reached up and placed her palm on my cheek.

I saw flashes of Alice and Rose, angrily throwing a fit, and the surprised face of Jacob, painted innocent in the child's mind. There was no voice, no words, but it was a question, I could tell.

Surprised and maybe even a bit scared, I jerked back, eyes wide. "_M-mama mia!_" I gasped.

"What?" All three of them asked at once. Alice let go of Jake's shirt, and he landed on the ground with a dull thud.

"She, she… _oh dio mio…_" I was barely forming words. "She… projected… _visions_! She showed me what she was thinking, from her mind… to mine." I stared, awestruck at the baby looking at me, waiting for response. She touched my cheek again, causing me to flinch in slight panic, this time I saw my face from her perspective (sadly, she too saw the scars that cut from my jaw line to shoulder) and heard my words,

"_Oh dio mio_." To her, they were accented, oddly musical, and strange. Again she was wondering. Why were the sounds I made so different from that of Alice, Rosalie and the boy Jacob?

"I speak a different language." I almost whispered, "Do you know what that means?"

She giggled.

Rosalie took her and cradled her, she and Alice rapidly discussing things I'm not sure I really understood. I was left standing in the room with Jacob, still sitting on the floor. Do you know the feeling where the entire room around you fades?

And the it's just you.

Alone.

I shook my head, rapidly clearing away the fog. It's not like that anymore, I scolded myself. Not at all.

I sighed heavily and picked up the bleach, and a rag. I poured bleach onto the rag and the carpet, and began rubbing at it, trying to work it out of the carpet. I'd had to clean carpets before, entire houses actually. All by myself, as punishment. One stupid day, and Aro was furious. If I wanted so badly to be human, I could work like one. It took me a week straight, with little sleep.

I rocked back onto my knees and closed my eyes, pushing the memories away from my eyes. So many memories, all stirring against my wall, the wall I've built. I felt a tear trying to roll free from my closed eyes.

'_Here Becca-boo, watch this.'_

'_Daddy, I'm scare of the dark!'_

'_I know my angel, here, look, I'm going to light a candle.'_

'_It's so pretty.'_

'_This candle was your mother's baby, see how it has pictures carved in it?'_

My heart ached.

My whole world seemed to remind me of the pain I held inside, and all I could do was try to make it through the next day. Remembering before all of it, it was so distant that it just hurt more.

Something very hot touched my knee.

I cringed away, flashes of fur and claws slicing through my memory. Opening my eyes, I saw Jacob, his hand partially outstretched, brow furrowed. He leaned back.

"I was asking if you were okay, you zoned out."

_I do that sometimes…_

"You've been through hell, haven't you?" It wasn't really a question, more like a statement that needed confirmation.

"Imagine hell, Jacob Black," I muttered darkly, "The most creative, torturous world you can." I saw his eyes widen in surprise, "Whatever it is you've just thought of… I'd prefer that." I whispered, "In truth, I died when I was four years old. I feel like my body has been dragging itself through life…" My eyes fluttered closed, I tucked my knees in towards my chest, "yes, there were moments of happiness, but I cannot tell you one promise that someone has made to me that hasn't been broken. Everyone I've met I have been forced to leave, or has left me. So you see why I fear, Jacob Black?" I asked him, almost pleading. "How many times can you crush something that is already broken? Even you, I fear you."

"What?" He seemed surprised, "Why are you scared of me?"

I sighed, my hand instinctively touching my side, "I'm scared of what you _could_ do Jacob. My past has taught me to see the worst in people, the worst possible outcome of a situation. Once you start seeing that, it's hard to look past, hard to see the goodness in anyone." I traced the four lines on my face, "When I met Carlisle, I saw him as naïve, as foolish and weak until he saved my life. The days after that were a high point for me, a stranger _cared_."

Jacob was gaping, probably horrified by the traumatic things I could describe, "People are supposed to care!" He blurted out.

"Supposed to? People don't care Jacob, they do what benefits them until they have something more to live for than themselves. For instance, I met Edward whilst he was in Italy, away from Bella. He was an ass. Now he is happy. Esme, this family, they are her children. You, you have a father who cares for you, but you feel that none in your pack can understand the love that you once lost." I opened one eye to glance at him.

"You… you know what it's like then, and it sucks." He breathed, a long heavy sigh.

"Like you've died, but you continue living, like when you look in a mirror, there should be an empty hole through your chest. Like the world around you is moving faster than you, leaving you in the background, forgotten…" I murmured.

He put his hand on my shoulder, causing me to cringe slightly and open my eyes.

"It passes." He said seriously. I looked at him quizzically, then turned away,

"I saw how you looked at Renesmee… like she is your whole world now. Is that… a werewolf thing?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's a wolf thing." He chuckled softly.

"Luck you." I actually meant it as well, no more pain for him. No more seeing his former love with another man, for now he had a new little baby to care about, and to protect. He nodded slightly,

"It'd do you some good to just… talk to them, the Cullens I mean. Start making plans for something." He offered.

I looked at the floor. All my previous dreams had slipped like sand from my closed fists, beaten and bruised from fighting, "How can I talk to them?" I wondered aloud, "We are so different, not only in species… but I feel like I could not speak with them about anything that they would understand. What is there for me to talk about?"

Jake smiled slightly, "Anything, past, present, future, people, places, experiences." I didn't say anything, my throat felt dry, "I've seen you skirt around them, you won't let them get close, won't talk about anything without standing like your staring them down."

"Perhaps because there are few things in my life that I want to talk about." I sniffed cynically.

"And if you don't say anything, is it supposed to get better?" He asked softly.

"How can it." I said bitterly, "I spoke with one person, 'opened up' as you call it. Ah… not by choice." I added, "More like, my past caught up with me."

"Yeah, that's great." Jacob smiled.

"He left the same day, I woke up in the woods alone and he was gone." I said flatly.

"Er… well, the leach was probably a sissy then." He attempted to say lightly.

I chuckled quietly, "Ah, nice try dog, I really appreciate it. Perhaps one day I'll visit this little town again, give you a nice food dish to replace the one you destroyed on Rosalie's head."

He laughed to and smacked my shoulder lightly, "Ah, come on half-breed, you know you're sticking around. You and me both, we're stuck here."

"Yeah, guess we are." I shook my head at this impossible situation.

"Well, I'm gonna go make myself scarce before Edward gets back and murders me…" He said slowly.

"I won't tell." I promised with a tiny smile. He slipped out the door and phased, loping off into the woods. The house was nearly silent, I could hear Alice and Rose upstairs, cooing excitedly to the baby.

I wandered upstairs, without any real direction. My feet made not so much as a creak on the wood, and I came upon a room I had never been in, the door slightly cracked. I pushed the door open hesitantly, and saw a beautiful black piano in the center of the room. Slowly, I walked across the floor, and sat at the bench, cross legged, my hands brushing the keys lightly. Piano. Yes, I've seen a few pianos before, but never actually been allowed to touch one.

Off the reflection of the shinning wood, I noticed other instruments, not being used, but there in case someone knew how to play them. A lovely, cherry oak cello, a silvery flute, bronze trumpet. I stood up, walking in almost a daze, my eyes fixed on the glistening instrument in the corner. I brushed away the sheet music on top of it, seeing the violin was a beautiful and odd pure black.

I held it gently in my hands, and carefully, gingerly placed it under my chin, drawing the bow slowly across the strings. It was not out of tune.

I sat folded on the piano bench, my back to the keys and closed my eyes. The slow, melancholy tune of a song I heard as a child, played from simple memory, began to move my hands to form the music. The beat was slow, the notes hanging, each as long as a calm and sad human heartbeat.

I remembered the words, a sad remembrance of a lost home,

_Look to thy sun lit sky, on the horizon dance,_

_On the legs of the young dreamer, I wish thee well,_

_For my legs are tired, my soul is worn,_

_No further can I carry myself to my home which I have left,_

_So long ago._

_Dream I did of returning, and someday when I look up,_

_Perhaps down, heaven or hell I do not know which for me,_

_I think I shall see that life is bitter without my home._

_Someday, we shall hope again, children shall sing,_

_But the silence now fills the halls of my heart._

I hummed the tune, Italian words swelling in my mind, reminding me so powerfully of my own home, that for second, I was soaring over Valle Celeste like a bird.

Home.

Home.

Where the heart is.

Home, so many thousands of miles away.

One last note to keep out the silence, and then again the darkness comes crashing all around. So quiet, so alone. It's over, the song, but what else? The baby is born, Bella is alive, she changes as I am sitting here. Where do I go now? I can never return to any place I have been, it is too dangerous. I let my hands trail over the white ivory keys once more before standing up, closing the door silently behind me.

Bella's heart was beating quickly not so far away.

I found myself outside the door. I could smell Edward in there, but didn't care to request entry, after all, I had been in here not so long ago to retrieve a blanket. The door creaked as I closed it. Edward sat tensely in a chair not far from Bella. She was so still, so motionless, as if she were in no pain at all.

Good for her, my heart softened, she deserved no more pain.

Kind heart, pure soul, it would be wrong for her to suffer.

Edward pressed his fingers to his temples, "Don't torture yourself," I said softly, leaning against the door, "Believe in her strength, have faith in her ability to do this."

He glanced up, I met his eyes for a second before looking away, "She must be in pain… I don't understand… I must have done something wrong." He sounded on the verge of madness. I smiled sadly,

"You are over a century old, no doubt very wise, you saved her life and her child, yet you doubt yourself because she is not in pain…" I shook my head in disbelief and let a tiny smile stay in place on my lips, "What a luxury to worry about such things when the future is already guaranteed."

He looked at me, and for a second, he was merely seventeen.

"Thank you."

Two words were enough. For helping him and his mate, though I felt I had owed them some kind of debt. Still, what was I going to do? Stand there with him and watch as Bella changed without the slightest movement except for breathing? No.

I walked down the hallway and slipped out the window, almost expecting to run into Emmett, Jasper and Dylan on their way back, but they were nowhere to be seen. Where had they said they liked to hunt? Over the river… then to the… north? Yeah, to the north, the national park of something. Mt. Ranier, I think. At an easy jog, I was faster than the average car, a run was much faster than those special Japanese trains called 'bullet trains', and a flat out sprint…

There was a point where speed could only be compared to things that went nearly the same speed as them. Vampires compared their speeds with other vampires, and I was slower than all of them. But much faster than any normal human being, sadly, not really falling into any category. Smells of sweet, dew covered grass and moon lilies coated the night air.

And another scent.

Another scent that had me on my knees in the dirt, my breath leaving me in a rush. A scent that literally floored me like a blow to the stomach. A scent that had crazy fear gripping my heart like steal. A scent that brought all kinds of memories of fighting and pain swelling back up.

Luke.

Terror, I was shaking.

'_Yeah? And what do you plan to do if you run? Hm? I'll come after you, I'll kill everyone who helps you. You'll never leave this place alive Rebecca.'_

Like a jolt of electricity, I was on my feet, sprinting into the forest. Some part of my mind just wouldn't let me lie down on this one, get walked on again. Because if I let Luke beat the shit out of me again, he would beat the shit out of the Cullens to, with help, he'd get William.

My mental path switched, jerked right out of its pattern, from defensive, to offensive.

The Volturi taught me how to track, and living with Luke taught me that the boy had no experience with tracking. I was surprised he got this far.

I skidded to a stop, getting closer to a clearing. In front of my, the woods thinned, the forest floor was dirt and scattered trees. I heard a beating heart,

"Come out, come out Becky… I know you're here…"

I almost laughed, if I hadn't know his exact position, his voice just gave it away. Sure, he was a forceful and strong fighter, with a formidable gift, but he wasn't _smart_. And brains, my dear, I thought snidely, are what separate the men from the dogs. I slipped behind a tree closer to the sound of his voice, gaining the high ground by scaling up to some of the stronger branches where the pine needles were thick.

"Don't worry Becky, dear 'ol Dad sent me alone. See, he trusts me, knows I can bring you back home nice and safe. Unfortunately, takes some of the fun out of it, I'd much rather get a little bit of revenge." He continued on, trailing one hand along the lower branches of other trees, near me to the point where I could feel the heat from his body radiating his body. I wondered why he wasn't paying enough attention to sense me.

"See, you hurt me Becky." He paused and smirked a little, "Which wasn't something I thought could happen…" He chuckled quietly, "Before you came along I was his favorite," I noticed how his left eye twitched, "but your… interruption gave me a little bit of a revelation. I've been working, training, and I really don't think you have much of chance at getting away this time Becky. Even if I am alone, I never really am alone, perhaps it will be more of a challenge for you to have to fight multiple targets at once."

I smiled slightly, "On the contrary, dear Luke," I cleared my throat, his eyes snapped to mine, "I've always enjoyed challenges."

As he stood there, a likeness of him lunged forward from his body and towards me, like the two had peeled apart. I leapt out of the tree and whipped my right arm around, causing a long rope of flame to lash out at Luke 1. He jumped to avoid it. The clone dropped down, I heard his feet behind me.

Luke smirked, "Well, I can't say I've missed you. Impressive trick, practicing with fire?"

"A little." I grinned.

He growled and I heard the clone behind me move. At the same second I rocked back on my left foot and whirled around, slamming my elbow into his neck. My other hand shot out towards the original Luke, and a virtual explosion of flames shot towards him. He dove left, but his side still caught the flame and he flailed in the dirt, patting it out.

Concentrating, feeling the 'strings' of my energy, I pushed them away from my body. The energy from my fire come from me, so most of it ended up coming out in pillars or bursts from me. This time, I forced the energy away from me, and towards Luke before letting it burst into orange light.

I lunged into the smoke, and grabbed onto the collar of his shirt. When the smoke cleared, I had him by the neck, pinned in the dirt, "Let's get something very clear between you and me," I started angrily, "I am _not_ your sister in fact, we're not even related. My name is Rebecca Arianna Medachi, both my parents are human and you and I have _nothing_ in common. You are simply a nuisance that I should have disposed of a long time ago."

"Yeah?" He glowered, "Then kill me. You never had the guts."

I flinched slightly, and he curled back, slamming both of his feet into my stomach and sending me flying, end over end, into the woods.

I was suddenly facing a least ten of Luke, and felt my heart drop a little. The original smirked and hung back as the others charged. I grabbed one, slamming his head into the ground, causing him to collapse and disintegrate, the clones weren't genetically stable, their structures were semi-fragile if you knew where to hit. But they were strong. One caught my in the stomach, and another slammed into me from the side, the two pinning me while others rushed to help them. I felt a stabbing pain below my ribs, maybe one or two cracked from Luke's kick. With difficulty, I threw them off me and lunged for the original Luke.

One of the clones slid in front of him and knocked me backwards, and I went sprawling, tumbling on the forest floor until slamming into a tree.

**Dylan POV-**

I finished off the deer lying beneath me and turned to Jasper, "Well, I'm set." I said.

"Took you long enough." Emmett snorted, "You sure you don't wanna finish off the last remaining animal within a twenty mile radius?"

Jazz and I glowered at him coldly.

There was an almost silent, dull thudding noise to the north of us, "Hear that?" Jasper asked, I nodded.

The woods were almost pitch black this time of night, I stood up and inhaled deeply, letting the smells of the forest overwhelm my senses.

To anyone who isn't a vampire, it's hard to describe. Being one isn't anything like what words can describe. The pain… the pain is excruciating, it makes you see things, make you delirious. But what you gain is extraordinary. Everything becomes doable. The world is within your grasp, and the scary thing is, that's just the beginning. You can hear everything, rivers miles away, the faintest trembles in the earth that signal movement. The speed is like a weapon, being able to move so fast nothing can track you, see you, stop you, and the strength to destroy absolutely anything in your path. The eyesight to see threats before anyone else knows, the intelligence to make decisions before most humans could have even heard most of the information. All put together, all given to you at once, it's a lot to take in. And then there's the beauty, the fact that you attract humans like a magnet, a wondrous flower.

Voice like music, appearance like a god, and skills and senses that make you a weapon. The world… at your hands. Suddenly, the world is not only in your hands, but at your disposal. At first, for me it was like being the 'angel of death' my step-mother read about from the bible. Powerful, but a creature so dark and evil… destruction was left in their wake like a wave. They were unstoppable.

I've been a vampire for over two decades, but I've seen truly terrifying things. Our kind are dark, deceptive and evil with only a handful of exceptions. The thirst turns us into animals, stains us with blood, brings out anger towards each other. We destroy each other, and I've seen that to. Violence on a human scale can never compare to that on ours, it is truly horrifying.

All of the emotions are millions of times stronger as well, adding to the danger, the power, and opportunities.

Which is why my vision lit up with read when I saw Rebecca slam into a tree less than fifty yards from me, and slide to the ground. Her arms wrapped around her abdomen, her breathing was erratic, a trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. I ran over to her without thinking, Emmett and Jasper right behind me, stunned into silence.

"Rebecca?" I slid to a stop, kneeling down next to her. Her violet eyes widened, and she whirled to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"We were hunting." Jasper said from behind me, "What are you doing out here alone?"

"She's not alone." A boy with sandy brown hair walked over slowly, eyes shimmering a mix between brown and red. He wore a sinister, predatory smile.

Rebecca snarled furiously, "Luke, I'm warning you." She hissed.

_Luke_. The boy whom she stole the sword from, the boy who she couldn't stand to talk about, who the very thought of reduced her to tears. Her brother. The person who terrorized her.

"Oh, calm yourself little Becky," I did a double take as _another Luke_ stepped out from behind one of the trees, "It's not like I'm going to behave badly in front of your friends." He stepped forward, "So, Cullens I presume?"

I growled lowly, shifting in front of Rebecca. His lip twitched,

"I'm wondering if she's told you our little 'family secret'." Luke chuckled, Rebecca paled,

"I swear to god I will incinerate you here and now." She hissed lowly, Luke smiled,

"You won't kill me Rebecca. And that's why your weak, you can't kill someone you love." He leaned back slightly, seeming pleased with himself. I watched, torn in a way I was completely unfamiliar with, as Rebecca visibly deflated.

"What do you want?" She murmured.

"William Jennings," Luke said cheerily, "He wants you back."

I stiffened.

'_A domandian… well, they're monsters, created over time as armies. There is a man now who has created three, named William Jennings. And that's why Rebecca can't be one, William would have sought her out by now._'

"Go to hell." Rebecca whispered, her voice broke, "You're right, I can't kill you… because I have _a soul_, Luke. That's the difference between you and me. That's why I'm not like you. So… so… get lost. Or I might just kill you anyway." Her lip trembled, her eyes were on the floor.

I snarled lowly and wrapped my arms around Rebecca, "You heard her, get lost." I glowered at him, how dare he hurt her? What gave him the right? I wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

"Good to know your family is all too spineless to hurt me. I'll remember that." The boy chuckled.

I let go of Rebecca and grabbed the boy by the neck, "The only reason," I hissed, "you're still breathing is that I know it would upset Rebecca if I ripped your miserable head off in front of her." My lip was curled up in a sneer, exposing my venom-slicked teeth. He paled quickly as my jaw clenched, "You stay away from her," I snarled, "Or I will personally make you regret it."

His smirk faltered before he turned tail and bolted off into the darkness.

Jasper put his hand on my shoulder, I met his eyes briefly as he jerked his head in Rebecca's direction. She was trembling in place.

"Rebecca…" I started softly, and was horrified to see a tear trickle down her cheek, she stepped away from me hesitantly. An unfamiliar pain consumed me, bubbling in my chest.

"I-I'm…" She whispered, "I'm sorry for not telling you." Bex sniffed, "But after hearing Carlisle talk about us like that… what he said about my 'species'… I thought if you ever found out, you wouldn't want me around."

"Shucks no Bex, you're just too much fun! Of course we want you around!" Emmett laughed and hugged her.

Jasper stood next to me while I watched my brother hug the girl I… _loved_. Jasper smirked, "Well, now that you've admitted it to yourself." He chuckled, "Why don't you tell her?"

Rebecca whirled around, "You… you… _you what?_" She stammered.

Crap.

"Ughhh… Jazz, you need to work on your whispering skills." I groaned. Rebecca blinked, and turned multiple shades of pink, red, and a mix of the two. I felt like slapping myself, or Jasper… or both.

"Awwwww… they're both embarrassed, how cute!" Jasper teased choking down laughter with an obvious smirk on his face. I was angry, until Rebecca's shifting in my peripheral dragged my gaze over to her.

I looked fondly at Rebecca, she really was beautiful, and her glistening violet eyes hypnotized me. I wicked the tear away from her cheek. She flushed a deep shade of red and wiped the blood away from the corner of her mouth, "Bit my tongue." She muttered, embarrassed.

"Are you okay?" I asked sincerely, "He didn't hurt you, did he?" The thought infuriated me.

"Not really, no." She sighed. "Not this time."

"This time?" I growled.

"It was part of… William's game," She sighed tiredly, I saw her eyelids flutter slightly, "He made us fight each other, he could control minds. Luke and I would fight, then he would act like he loved me as my brother, than we would fight…" She trailed off, "All I wanted was a family. But, they turned out to be raving lunatics who didn't really care about me at all."

I hugged her against me tightly. Tentatively, I felt her hug me back. She was so careful, so damaged by what she'd been through. It made me angry to even think about those who hurt her, and I wanted to protect her from anything like that ever happening again.

"Oh!" She said suddenly, "We have to get back."

"Why?" I asked, feeling a little selfish, not wanting to let go.

"I have to make sure Rosalie didn't kill Jacob, I think we've established a sort of friendship and it would be a shame to have Rose murder him." She said with a tiny smile.

I was dumbstruck, even _I _didn't like the dog. "You are a truly confusing individual." I muttered.

She smiled slyly, "Whatever keeps me alive the longest." Sadly, I didn't hear any hint of joking in her voice.

We ran home, and she was humming a slow tune to herself. When I asked her about it, she said nothing more than, "It's a secret."

Still untrusting, still skittish, still… beautiful, wonderful, perfect…

**Tadddaaaa! Aw, they hugged! Isn't that cute?**

**:)**

**Review please! Thanks to Sand n' Sable for her overall amazingness…!**


	23. Chapter 22 Looking Forward

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

***!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!***

**Chapter 22- Looking Forward**

**Rebecca POV-**

He loves me.

HE. Loves. ME.

Okay… I didn't know what to do, how to react. But the hug was needed, and welcome. I couldn't understand why he didn't hate me after how Carlisle talked about _domandians._

I hummed to myself as we ran back,

_Bring on the wonder… bring on the sun_

_I've pushed you down deep in my soul for too long,_

_Bring on the wonder, bring on the sun,_

_We've pushed you down deep, so hang on…_

Maybe I liked him to. He was beautiful, kind, and… understanding. Compassionate. But I didn't know if I could bring myself to trust him. How could I really bring myself to trust again? Maybe it was best to start… part of me argued, you can't live forever never trusting.

"Ah, Rebecca!" Carlisle rushed me as soon as we were back in the house, "I was wondering where you were, I'd like to run some tests comparing you and Rensemee…" He noticed then that I was leaning away from him with wide eyes. He blinked, "What happened?" He asked suddenly, a slight sharpness in his voice.

"What do you mean?"

"You have a black eye."

I do? Well shit. I sighed, "Well… I had a run in with a certain… Luke… Jennings." Carlisle's eyes widened, and I winced slightly, "I'm sorry," I blurted out, "I should have told you."

"No, no," He muttered, "It's okay, I never would have thought that you were one of them. You seem to…"

"Sane?" I asked sadly. Carlisle paused, a mix of nerves, anxiety, excitement, and guilt playing in his golden eyes,

"Well, in a way, yes. You're in control… and not… not…" He struggled to find a word.

"Evil?" I asked with a tiny flicker of amusement.

"I suppose." He murmured.

"Rebecca!" Alice nearly tackled me in a hug. I flinched slightly before relaxing. "Oh my god, you scared me! Don't do that again!"

"Sorry Alice." I sighed. She stepped back and looked at me with an analyzing eye, as if she were trying to decipher something. Then, she glanced at Dylan. Then back to me. He stood there motionlessly, watching me. His messy black hair fell in his eyes slightly, he was silent. Out of all of his family, he hung around me the most, concerned and maybe even a bit protective. I was perfectly capable of protecting myself, but the emotional crashes I'd found that I'm prone to did require a shoulder to cry on. I'd like to blame genetics for that one. After all, I did have vampire strength emotions and a human body, a brain that was partially human and couldn't always handle the load I gave it.

But… it was different with Dylan. It reminded me in a way of how I'd felt with Garrett around. His presence relaxed me, he was one of the only ones who could really comfort me, and took it when I yelled at him. But did I trust him?

No.

Why? He made me feel happy, the last person to do that left me. I could tell he loved me, which scared me. Love is irrational. I wasn't ready, not at all, after more than a decade of not trusting people and being hurt, how could I just turn that over? He didn't even know that much about me. Yes, the broad ideas, that I was a Volturi, that I'm domandian hybrid, that I have a destructive gift and sketchy past, but he doesn't know the stories.

I sighed heavily, trust was such an odd and fragile things. Absently, I wondered how many times you can be betrayed before you stop trying to make ties with people.

"Rebecca, would you mind if I ran a few simple tests on you and compared them to Renesmee?" Carlisle asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"No, I don't mind." I said complacently. Alice and the boys hovered, "You guys can go unless you want to watch me get poked by needles." I added dryly. Emmett left with a laugh, Jasper turned and walked out with Alice's hand in his. Dylan stood there for a second, his eyes twitched slightly before he turned and left too.

I felt a long breath leave me, perhaps this boy was making me anxious. Perhaps… perhaps it would be for the better if I gave him a chance. I faintly remembered how magnificent it felt to have his hand on my cheek, wiping away my tears. So comforting… but the other side of mind inquired at how painful it would be he up and left me.

"Renesmee grew a lot… just in this fist day." Carlisle muttered worriedly, "What do you remember about your early childhood?"

I frowned, "I don't know about actual, physical growth, but I had the intelligence of an adult at the age of four. I negotiated with people, had discussions with them. That's ultimately what led to Violetta's…" I stopped myself before mentioning how my entire hometown had betrayed me.

"Mhmm…" Sometimes, I just love it when people aren't actually paying attention to what I'm saying. Honestly. "This might pinch a little." Carlisle flicked the tube that was attached to a long needle before lowering it towards my arm.

I squirmed slightly, feeling my stomach turn. As the needle broke my skin, I exhaled and let all my muscles loosen, just as I learned how to do when Aro went through his _'let's test the hybrid with all kinds of things that involve needles!'_ phase.

"So, any ideas for small talk while your sucking my blood, doc?" I joked lightly. He chuckled,

"Not exactly, my patients don't usually try to make jokes." He admitted with a small smile, "You on the other hand, are a unique case."

"Aw, now I feel all special." I snorted sarcastically, "Seriously doc, I'm getting bored." Okay, I was whining a little. But that was a higher level of cooperation than he should expect from me while he's jabbing me with needles.

"Well… do you have any questions about our family?" He asked as he pulled out the first needle and then started getting the next one ready. Ever had blood tests run? They take about six tubes of blood to make sure they have enough.

"What's… what's with Jasper?" I finally asked quietly. I had seen the scars every single day since I arrived, noticed how he had that slight tightening in his eyes, that nervous twitch, a recognizable aloofness and a familiar tension. I could relate to him, but not in a normal 'oh, you like that? Me too!' kind of way. It was more an understanding, and by nature, it made me not only fearful of him, but _dislike him_, part of me immediately analyzed him as a _threat_.

"What about him?" Carlisle asked, I flinched as the second needle went in.

I frowned, "What happened to him? How did he get…?" I trailed off.

"All those scars?" Carlisle finished for me, "Jasper… didn't have the kind of past that the rest of us did. His begging was far worse, not by his choice. His creator forced him into it." He paused to pull the second needle out, and inject the third, "I believe, you being educated by the Volturi, that you are aware of his part in our history. It was right after the Civil War of America, even during I think." He paused and looked at me expectantly.

I felt my eyes widen, "The Newborn Wars of South America…" I breathed, shock heavy in my voice.

Carlisle nodded and exchanged the fourth needle for the fifth, "But being forced to fight by Maria didn't take away his soul. He began to feel guilty, like he was drifting, angry at Maria and his whole situation." _Boy I know what that's like. _"His friend Peter escaped with a newborn named Charlotte, and convinced him to leave not long after. He couldn't stay with them, couldn't stand their happy emotions around him all the time. And then, he found Alice, who guided him towards us. He's been a vegetarian with a few bumps ever since." He finished with a smile and reached for the last needle, "In fact, without his help, I don't know that we would have been able to stop a group of newborns coming after Bella last spring."

Carlisle set the six viles down on a tray, "Well, you've been a relatively compliant patient. How do you feel?" He asked, "Any headache… dizziness, stomach pain?"

"Nope, nothing doc, good to go." I chuckled and pushed off the bench to my feet.

And for a second, that wasn't a lie. For a second, everything was fine, I was fine, and there was nothing wrong. Then, the room around me spun, I was only two steps from the door. My knees buckled and I clung to the counter, spilling all kinds of medical supplies across the room as my hand hit the tray and flipped it over.

"Rebecca?"

There was a sudden, sharp pain in my arm. Burning, searing.

_Venom_.

Every single muscle in my body clamped down, then began to twitch and seize up. I was falling, my eyes were open but I wasn't seeing, my head hit something hard. The pain shot up my arm with alarming quickness, faster than the other times. From my experience, I had to stop it before it reached my heart. My body _wanted_ to give up, and I _willed_ it not to, before. It came back stronger each time.

The fire engulfed my shoulder, and shot up the left side my neck.

"Becca? Becca? Can you hear me?" Multiple voices, jumbled words. I couldn't pick anything out specifically.

Nothing else got through to me. I was lost in the fight against the burning.

**Edward-**

I must be going insane. How can I still remain calm?

Time was only measured in her heartbeats. It was all I could hear, the gravitational pull that ground me, and kept me tethered to this earth. Each beat, a reminder, still alive, still alive.

_Bella, Bella, Bella…_

My beautiful angel. She was so strong, so determined. Did she make the right decision? How could I know if she would pull through, how did I know that she would make it. She had given me so much, given me the world, the light of my life. She bore my child. _My… child_. Something I never thought I could have, and she gave that to me.

And she was fighting for her life. I wanted to pull my hair out. She was silent. How could I know if she was alright? How could I know if the venom was even working?

"_What a luxury… to worry about such things when the future is already guaranteed."_

Maybe she was right, but how can I know for sure? How could I _not_ worry. She was my whole life. My everything. She had to be okay, just had to. Just like the baby, the beautiful girl… who looked so much like her mother.

She would be okay. She had to be. She _is_ strong enough, I repeated in my head over and over.

We are strong enough. I wrapped my hand around hers and squeezed gently.

**Rebecca POV-**

Burning.

Burning.

Imagine every single nerve in your body being seared by electric cables.

Imagine falling into a volcano.

Imagine having molten metal poured over your body.

Imagine a blinding, searing, throbbing, white hot burning that blinded your vision to nothing but white even though your eyes were closed, and deafened you even though the pain itself created not actual noise. Every single one of your senses is so overwhelmed by pain, your mind can barely process it. So sudden and strong, every single one of your muscles convulses, clamps and buckles, trying to find a more comfortable position, anything to stop the pain.

My heart was beating like faster than bad dance music, pounding in my chest to the point where it was painful, but whatever discomfort that caused was lost in the burning. I was aware that my breath was coming in strangled gasps, that I was curled tightly into a fetal position, and trembling violently in place. I must be crying, my rational mind thought as I absently felt liquid on my cheek, or… bleeding. With every heart beat, the venom pulsed further in my veins, advancing forward relentlessly, though slowly.

When I was seven years old, Felix took me on a cave-exploration adventure. The cave wasn't very deep underground, it had a few old mining tunnels running through it, zig-zagging back and forth. I remember trailing my fingers along the cave wall along the smooth stones until they brushed against something smooth and warm. I didn't see the viper until it had its long fangs sunken into my wrist. I shrieked and Felix pulled the snake off and threw it over his shoulder in a panic.

The venom had immediately made its way directly to my heart, and started circulating through my body. My vision blurred over in seconds, in two minutes I was losing consciousness. My throat swelled, I couldn't scream, I could barely even breath.

Felix ran all the way to a hospital. The doctors had this thing that they called 'anti-venom', I remembered that, it was the antidote to the snake bite. For days afterwards I was sick, coughing, week, and with a terrible fever. According to the doctors, I should have been dead because of how long it took for me to get to the hospital.

There was no snake now, no hospital, no 'anti-venom'.

October of my freshman year in high school, the year I actually attended school, I had to walk home in a snowstorm once. The winding roads of Volterra went up, down, curved, dipped, and winded… they were all cobblestones and Volterra is much bigger than one may presume. It was a few decent miles from the school to the castle, and the path was dark, and sharply downhill at many points. Being the ever alert and good child I was, I had both earphones to my iPod in, and couldn't hear much else.

A moped carrying a woman and her small child came flying around the corner, the wheel slid, the small scooter fell on its side. The woman slipped off, managing to grab her child. I turned to see her duck her head, curling her body around her child as they slid into a building, and the moped hit the cobblestones. It hit the ground, and bounced up. As I turned, as saw the glint of the side mirror, and didn't even have time to squeeze my eyes shut.

I went tumbling end over end, the bike landing on my stomach. I remember breaking my arm, and cracking four ribs. I remember being pinned under the bike, lying at the bottom of the hill on ice covered cobblestones with a gash on my forehead that bled until red clouded my vision. It took a full two hours for anyone to notice something had gone wrong. Felix, of course, my big brother, was the first one there, and pulled the bike off. The constant throbbing pain had been relieved when Felix picked me up and wrapped me in an electric blanket.

There was no Felix now, he was still in Italy. Where I would have been.

Pain. Pain. _Burning_.

My heart fluttered, throbbed, faltered. Then, as if the torture I was going through was not enough, I felt my strength waning, and the burning, as though it were a tangible force, hit my heart. As though it were an actual blow, my heart stopped for a beat before leaping back to a frightened rhythm. And that wasn't the worst part. I can't even describe the pain, but however bad it was, it got worse. Like someone had reached down and lit my heart on fire. I felt myself shake uncontrollably and a wail escape my lips.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I heard someone muttering, and was aware for the first time that someone was tightly grasping my hand. The fire in my heart faded, receding slowly. The entire left side of my body was under its iron grip, but the rest of me was mercifully free. "I'm so sorry… I should have…"

Another shriek escaped my lips as the venom shot up and down my arm, trying to break past my control over it.

"Dylan, there's nothing you can do."

"I'm not leaving her."

"At least let Carlisle try to help her. He feels terrible, you know."

"Anymore blood work could push the venom further through her system."

"Dylan! For Christ's sake!"

"Don't you _dare_ get angry at _me_. What if she were Alice? How would you feel then?"

"Dylan… she's not ready for love."

"I know."

"Then why are you…?"

"Because I will be at her side to protect her and comfort her whenever she wants until she is ready. I _will not _leave her. Have you heard the thing she's been through? Her greatest fear is being left alone by those she trusts. If she's not ready to trust me, so be it, I'll wait."

For a second the pain was overwhelmed by shock. I could feel his hand still on mine, the venom slowly retreating down my arm, as if… as if he was pulling it away. Ridiculous, I thought, he has nothing to do with it. My heart was fluttering, though slower now. The burning was now only concentrated in my shoulder and arm. Shuddering, I felt the rest of my body relax slightly, and I realized I was crying. Slowly, I realized I could open my eyes. After fluttering, I finally forced them open, and saw Jasper and Dylan looking at me intently.

He squeezed my hand gently, "Are you okay?"

If I attempted to speak, I would scream. I pressed my lips together firmly and shook my head back and forth. Dylan's eyebrows knit together.

"Still…?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded, trembling in place. "Just… my… arm…" I hissed out through clenched teeth. "Oh my _god!"_ I whimpered, pressing my face against my pillow.

"I'm sorry." Dylan repeated.

"Stop saying that!" I growled, "Or you're going to force me to stand up and break your damn nose!"

"No, no, stay right there, until you feel better." Dylan said seriously.

I bit down on my lip to stifle a scream and gripped my arm with my opposite hand. I could feel tears pouring down my face. _Why me? Why does this happen to me?_ Why can't I just be normal, I want to be human… I shivered and trembled until my teeth clacked together. I gritted my teeth together, and all but _forced_ the venom down, pushing it back.

Soon, I was gasping for air.

_Tired, tired, I'm so tired._

"_Felix… please, I just don't want to do this anymore."_

"_I'm sorry Bex, I've tried to talk to Aro, I can't change his mind."_

"_I don't care! I want to decide what I do with my life!" _

"_Becca-boo, don't be like that!"_

"_No, go away." I snapped, sitting in the mud as it rained._

"_Rebecca… please boo, please don't do this." _

_I stubbornly tilted my chin up. He bent down and picked me up,_

"_No, put me down!" _

"_Rebecca, Rebecca, just calm down!"_

"_I hate you Felix! I hate all of you, just leave me alone."_

"_I love you Rebecca."_

_I sniffled, "I love you too Fix…"_

I shivered. Felix. I miss Felix. I wanted so badly to go back to Italy. To see Felix, even if it meant Aro would kill me himself, I missed my big brother. Weariness was washing over me like rain as the burn receded just to my fingertips. As it dwindled, I felt myself relaxing. I heard Dylan stand up, and there was the swishing of fabric next to me. I opened my eyes enough to see him pulling the blanket over me.

"_Grazie…"_ I murmured as I was finally free of the venom. Then, I could truly feel how exhausted I was. And cold. I felt too weak to even pull the blanket around me tighter, but it didn't really matter because I was drifting to sleep. I heard a throaty chuckle,

"You're welcome." Dylan muttered, bent close to my ear. I felt his lips gently brush my forehead before falling asleep. The last thing I remember was how good and comforting that felt.

**Jasper-**

I have to admit, I sucked to be an empath sometimes. Feeling other people's pain and anguish frayed my sanity. The emotions in this house have been out of whack lately, for that I blame Rebecca. The kid sure stirred things up, and I won't deny that the first time I met her I didn't like her.

Matter o' fact, I wanted her gone and away from Alice as soon as possible.

But sometimes I'm wrong.

Because I've never seen anyone so broken down in my entire life as that poor kid. In all my years, and all the newborns I've dealt with, all the death and destruction I've been around, the despair and anguish rolling off her was the strongest I'd come across in such a long time it just about knocked me flat on my back. It was like a cloud of fog that surrounded her.

I mean, I'm no whistlin' Dixie, but this was just… beyond depression. And then I saw how much Alice wanted them to be friends, how hard she was trying, how it wasn't making a difference, and how _that_ hurt Alice. And that made me want to kick the shit out of whatever sick twisted asshole decided that experimenting with children was a good hobby. Even as a newborn, I avoided children because there was just something so innocent about them. I've never killed a child.

But… attacking and killing a pregnant woman just to make her child into a monster? Could I think of anything more horrible and twisted than that? No, no I couldn't.

Alice wrapped her tiny arms around me and squeezed gently. I sighed, "Sorry darlin'."

"Don't be sorry Jazz, everyone is stressing." She said softly,

"I'm sorry I doubted you darlin', I just didn't want you in danger an' I thought she was-"

"I know." Alice cut me off, pressing her lips together slightly, "Jazz, I get it. And I love you… so much. But, that's not the point. The point is you need to loosen up, I mean… you keep on being uptight when she's around. Like you have to protect all of us from her."

"Alice-"

"Shush." She said patiently, "Stop thinking of her as something different, think of her as someone a little bit like you were. Like what Charlotte was, someone who had plans and dreams, that got… lost." She said gently and squeezed my hand as I recalled all those memories. I had dealt with all kinds of people, some of them seemed to be so lost and hurt they appeared broken inside. No soul, no heart.

It dawned on me, Rebecca seemed to be like that. A walking shell, the kind of person that when you looked in their eyes you either saw your own reflection, or pools so deep you felt like you were drowning. Dying. She was either thoughtful, or non-existent, overjoyed and happy, or emotionless. I sighed again,

"You're always right." I looked down at Alice in amazement.

"I try." She smiled up at me. I twirled my fingers in her silky black hair which made her giggle softly. Ah, my angel. I could practically feel myself relaxing as she snuggled her tiny body closer to mine. I stroked her cheek gently,

"You succeed." I murmured in her ear and planted a quick peck on the tip of her nose. Her eyes lit up with silent laughter and she buried her head in my shoulder, effectively pushing us both over. She smiled broadly and ruffled my hair before suddenly freezing. I frowned, "Alice?"

"Uh-oh." Was all she said, though it was enough to completely shatter my calm and set me into a fit of anxiety.

There was a metallic clanging noise from upstairs, followed by the noise of shuffling feet. Alice stood up quickly, and I quickly behind her, just as I heard a dull thud and a gasp. The smell of freshly drawn blood drifted from a closed door, the scent a mix of floral and human. Hers and Renesmee's were similar, yet Rebecca's was less sweet smelling, and more leaning towards the smells of wilderness.

"Rebecca?" I heard Carlisle's panicked voice.

She was limp on the floor, but not for long. By the time Dylan lifted her and set her on the bed in the guest room, she was beginning to curl up tightly. The next progressive seconds drew from her a shrill, tortured scream, and I watched in distress as she writhed and cried out uncontrollably. My strongest and most concentrated waves of soothing clam could do nothing. Alice, anxious and worried for her new friend, flittered back and forth, trying to think of some way she could assist. Dylan was hurriedly retrieving blankets as he could feel Rebecca's body temperature plummeting.

I was jolted out of my frozen state when Carlisle ran over.

"What happened?" More than one of us demanded at the same time.

"I just drew a few viles blood." He sounded just as panicked as the room felt, possibly even more so as I could feel guilt mingled in as well.

"Tipped the balance." Dylan muttered, attempting to wrap Rebecca in a blanket as she cried hysterically.

"What?" I asked, confused. What balance was he talking about?

"The balance!" Dylan snapped, patience wearing thin, "The balance of blood and venom in her body is delicate. Blood and venom don't usually go together, so if any part of the balance changes, the venom gains enough strength to start attacking her own body."

"What happened when Rose and Em found her…" I murmured to myself. The poor girl had never been bitten, her body was attacking itself. Tears were streaming down her face, a cold sweat had begun to break out. She had been cradling her arm before, though now it seemed to be her whole left side.

That was almost two days ago. Two days ago, the burning started with a blood draw. Two days of stress, and pain from multiple sources. Finally, my nerves wearing thin, Dylan's constant worrying and pacing attributing to this. He apologized over and over, and over, finally I grew unable to deal with it and I yelled at him.

"There's nothing you can do!" I growled lowly, then dropping my voice, "Bella will be awake soon, and we need to deal with that as a family as well."

"I'm not leaving her." He said stubbornly, his jaw set. I remembered thinking of this boy as my little brother, and tried to remember how helpless he had seemed when he arrived. Remembering this was my attempt to not punch him. The mixing stressful emotions were slowly eating away at my sanity.

"At least let Carlisle try to help her. He feels terrible, you know." I ground out.

"Anymore blood work could push the venom further through her system." Dylan shot back. I glowered.

"Dylan! For Christ's sake!" Perhaps just some morphine…? The girl was in terrible pain, Carlisle felt guilty, and Dylan was incredibly stressed. He wanted so badly for her to be pain free and happy, though there was nothing he could do.

"Don't you _dare_ get angry at _me_. What if she were Alice? How would you feel then?" He said bitterly, his eyes dark and expression tormented. His words fell with a heavy weight on my ears. For a second, I could imagine my Alice in her place, and the feelings it caused were so retched I immediately forced them from my mind. A sudden thought came to me like a stinging slap, Dylan loved her with his whole heart. But she was so emotionally broken, I knew for a fact that any emotional relation would certainly terrify her.

"Dylan… she's not ready for love." I said as sensitively as I could, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"I know." He murmured, taking her hand in his.

"Then why are you…?" Why are you hovering about her all the time? Why not wait from a distance?

"Because I will be at her side to protect her and comfort her whenever she wants until she is ready. I _will not _leave her. Have you heard the thing she's been through? Her greatest fear is being left alone by those she trusts. If she's not ready to trust me, so be it, I'll wait." He said earnestly. I leaned back, as it sunk in it made perfect sense. I would give up the world for Alice, and Dylan felt that way about Rebecca no matter what happened.

Just then, Rebecca turned over, a soft gasping breath drawing in from her lips and her eyelids fluttered. What happened next blew my mind, in the midst of fighting the venom, her eyes opened, and locked on the both of us. Her eyes looked at us, not through us, as though she were thinking and seeing coherently through the pain.

Dylan squeezed her hand, "Are you okay?" He asked, _stupidly_ I thought.

Rebecca pressed her lips together tightly, I saw the muscles in her entire body tense up, her jaw clenched as she tried to not let herself scream. She simply whipped her head back and forth quickly once. Dylan's eyebrows knit together, his panic grew stronger.

"Still…?" My brother asked. _How is she still in that much pain…?_ My mind asked.

She trembled in place violently. "Just… my… arm…"She managed to say after a long pause, hissing the words out from her teeth. Then, she rolled over, pressing her face against the pillow, cutting off a shriek. "Oh my _god!"_ She whimpered, and I felt more than a pang of pity for her.

"I'm sorry." Dylan repeated.

"Stop saying that!" Rebecca growled, "Or you're going to force me to stand up and break your damn nose!" I couldn't help but smirk a small bit, the apologizing was just as irking to her.

"No, no, stay right there, until you feel better." Dylan said seriously. And I knew he meant it.

In a few more minutes, she was relaxing minutely. I began to contemplate Alice's words, she was right, this girl reminded me of many experiences I had been through. I felt _bad_ for her, no longer uneasy about her presence. Remembering how Alice had healed me, and seeing how badly Rebecca had faired over the years, made me want to help her heal as well. She'd been broken, and she had the scars to prove it.

Eventually, she lay almost completely still, her chest rising and falling with even breath. Her eyes fluttered with exhaustion as Dylan wrapped a blanket over her.

"_Grazie…"_ She murmured, he kissed her forehead and chuckled. We both tensed up as we heard a heartbeat down the hallway speed up dramatically. Dylan and I both tensed, and locked eyes, words passing in that glance that made us both nervous.

_Bella._

Our sister was waking up. We were both out of there and down the hallway like bats out of hell. Alice was behind me, and tried to wriggle forward. Without even thinking, I pushed her behind me with a hard look that begged her not to run forward, for my own sanity. She looked at me almost pleadingly, but I would not be moved.

Yes, this was Bella. Yes, we all know her, love her, she loves us.

But she's a newborn. Uncontrollable, unpredictable, dangerous. I'd seen too much violence and death due to newborns to ever let Alice near one without evaluating them myself first.

She opened her eyes, sucking in one breath in amazement before pausing. Of course, she didn't need that air anymore, it must surprise her. Edward brushed her arm, and she whirled off the table with speed only vampires can produce. Her expression was one of shock, her twinkling crimson eyes showed confusion and wonder.

Their exchange inevitably turned into a tight embrace, and Bella kissed my brother. Forcefully. He actually uttered a syllable of pain, which brought such a concentration of shock from Bella I nearly took a step backwards. They had a long discussion, long as my nerves were becoming more and more frayed with each word that was exchanged.

"Jazz wants to know how your holding it together." Edward finally murmured.

"Oh." She squeaked, though her voice was musical, almost _bell_-like, suiting her well.

_Then_ I felt it. The smarting, dull burning, aggressive hunger, it roared up full force, young and ugly. Bella's hand flew to her throat.

Another long exchange, Alice's hand tore away from mind and she brought with her a mirror.

"Disappointed?" Bella's eyes twinkled as she looked at Edward.

"Yes." He said slowly.

_NO!_

Confusion, hurt, _anger_ mixed in the air. I snarled lowly, and grabbed Alice's hand, both Emmett and I tensed if she snapped and attacked our idiotic brother.

"I was hoping I'd be able to read your mind." He muttered. Surprisingly, her anger vanished and she was calm as soon as soon as his hand brushed her cheek. After a few more agonizingly long minutes, I all but tossed them out the window.

"Oh, those heals!" Alice whined as Bella tossed the shoes back in the window, nearly breaking the vase on the counter. "Those were nice heals!"

I chuckled and hugged her tightly, "You can always get more shoes Ali," I murmured in her ear. She laughed and smacked my shoulder, which only made me grin like an idiot,

"But those are nice, and so was the dress." Alice sniffed, "The dress is ruined."

"Somehow, I think you'll survive." I laughed and ran my hand through her silky hair. The tightness in my throat was mercifully absent, now that Bella was one of us, that she'd survived…

Things could only get better from here.

**Soooo… moving right along, eh?**

**For those who have been asking:**

**Garrett, Annalise, Connie and Kate will all make an appearance late on when the Cullens are gathering witnesses against the Volturi. Don't worry, I promise Garrett will come back :-) **

**AAANNNNDDD! Rebecca will be getting better, as in not so whinny-ish. Working on it, but it wouldn't seem natural if I just switched it. SHE'S HEALING PEOPLE! It's a slow process.**

**Review?**

**-Zeri**


	24. Chapter 23 Intertwined

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 23- Intertwined**

**Rebecca:**

"Yo." A hand pushed my shoulder gently, "Hey, come on wake up," The hand pushed harder.

"What are you doing?" A low hissing voice demanded.

I found myself slightly annoyed, that for the second time so far, I was being woken up by voices after fighting off the venom. Ah, my luck astounds me sometimes. To save the two the trouble from raising their voices, I groggily sat up and rubbed my eyes. I was not in the least bit surprised to see Dylan glowering darkly at Jacob whose hand now floated inches from my shoulder.

"Wha' do ya' wan'?" My voice was thick with sleep and cracked on the last word, much to my embarrassment.

They both blinked.

I ducked my head slightly and cleared my throat, "What do you want?" I asked again. Jacob smiled slightly and Dylan glowered at him.

_Dylan…_ who wrapped me tightly in all these blankets that I found myself still stuck in, who wouldn't leave my side… I stopped that train of thought and returned to trying to wriggle my way out of all the blankets. Jake leaned back on his heels, sporting that same goofy grin he'd had plastered to his face since he imprinted. I was surprised Rosalie didn't tear his head off while I was unconscious.

"Oh, I just wanna ask a favor and I figured you'd be the best one for it since you're part human, but not really human." Jake said, tilting back and forth as he said 'human but not really human' as though he were holding a scale.

I squirmed and pulled myself free of the blankets, not missing the tiny hint of a smirk on Dylan's face.

"I'm not too fond of being a guinea pig for one of your schemes right now Jake," I said, yanking my arm free, "I feel like I have just been hit by a truck." I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck and stretching a little.

"I already told him he's being idiotic." Dylan grumbled, "But the decision remains to you."

I narrowed my eyes at Jake, "You try to make me do anything and I will remove your teeth one by one." I growled lowly. Jake flinched visibly, and it brought me a small amount of glee that I could still instill fear in _some_ people.

"No, it's more of a plan… and I'm asking you to be part of it." Jake said slowly.

I sighed and looked down, "Yes, do tell about this lovely plan of yours." I grumbled shortly. Dylan growled quietly, adding his feelings to my statement.

"See, Bella wants to see her kid…" Jake started, his eyes full of concern, "And I'm not sure she'll be in control. Now, in a perfect world, people would listen to me and not just curse at me when I suggest that Bella not see her kid for a little while."

I nodded slowly. A mother's love for her child was one of the strongest things in the world, I knew that. But I also knew how strong thirst was.

"So, I figured if she smelled something else and didn't kill it then I could be more sure. Since I couldn't get any humans to sign up, I've decided that if she smells me without attacking me… well, then she might be okay." Jake then proceeded to rub his temples.

"_E_?" I asked, "_Che me ne importa?_" What do I care? It doesn't involve me, this odd plan of his, "_Che stai combinando?_" I asked, leaning closer to him with probing eyes. What are you planning?

"Er… what?" Jake asked.

I sighed, I hate English sometimes. "Okay, I get it, so what? How does this involve me?"

He blew out a long breath, "I think we need a better test, someone who smells more like Nessie, someone like you."

Shock, but what spilled out was, "Who is Nessie?"

"Renesmee is sort of a mouthful…" Jacob muttered lamely. "So what do you say, will you do it?"

I paused, weighing my options. Jacob was asking I favor… I don't generally… do... favors for people. But the favor in question was logical, in a sense of the word. Renesmee was in danger. Her mother presented that danger. A test, a test of her control would tell all of us if Bella really posed a threat to her daughter. Jacob volunteered, but he wasn't exactly a proper subject.

I was.

And there lies the problem.

Because I was the _exactly effing perfect person_ for this little experiment. In fact, I was a close as anyone was going to get to Renesmee without actually risking the poor kids neck in the matter. If I agreed, the results of this 'test' would be definite, concrete and unquestionable, because 'Nessie' and I smelled so similar.

But if we smelled so similar, and Jake was _that_ worried about Nessie, was I putting my neck on the line?

The answer to that question would be a yes for sure, if Bella really couldn't control herself and we were all wrong about her control, then I was left with three options.

Option one: Let Bella attack me, probably get several bones broken, and then hope someone would pull her off me while I attempted to hold her back. Then wait a few weeks for my bones to heal. Not an attractive option. _Or_, get the hell out of the way and hope someone stops Bella before she tears my throat out.

Option two: _Don't_ let Bella attack me. Go on the offensive, possibly hurt her by accident, then Edward kills me. _Bad option._

Option three: Do nothing. Bella kills me. _Even worse option_.

I stood up suddenly, my eyes narrowed slightly at Jacob. "I love that child." I said slowly, "And I respect Bella," I said quickly as Jake started to protest, "but if she snaps and kills me, I will fucking _come back from the grave_ and kick your ass, Black." I snarled lowly.

"She gets hurt and I kill you." Dylan snarled lowly.

I placed my hand on his shoulder, and saw his eyes widen slightly. Without thought, I leaned closer to him, so my lips were inches from his ear, "So protective." I murmured. Then, I snapped my fingers and walked out the door, Jacob followed me.

My cheeks heated up, good… _god_ that was stupid!

I all but ran down the stairs, where Alice suddenly appeared and caught me.

"We need to talk." She said smugly with a smile.

"Um… no," I said holding up my hand, "We do not have anything that we need to talk about."

"Mm… we could start with that." Alice said thoughtfully, "C'mon sit down, and we'll talk."

"About what, Alice?" I asked shortly.

"Well, it was going to be something different but I'm going to help you with your English." She said with a smile. I leaned back slightly as I sat down, settling into the comfortable armchair in the corner. I tilted my head to one side and my eyes the corners of my eyes twitched, narrowing and then un-narrowing quickly as I wrinkled my nose.

"My English does not need help." I said simply.

"Doesn't." Alice stated.

I frowned, "_Che_?"

"My English _doesn't_ need help. You, as a non-native speaker, you don't use contractions as much as we do. If you just use them more often, and don't annunciate every word so much…" She trailed off with a slight nod.

"I annunciate?" I asked.

"Yeah, when you talk you have a hard accent on every word, it's like, _bang, bang, bang, bang, bang_." She clapped her hands at the same volume to show me. "But you should put accents on the first word and get gently softer throughout the sentence, or if you're asking a question, the accent is at the end of the sentence."

I blinked, "You think… that changing the way I sound when I speak English will make it sound more natural…?"

"Yeah, and you just phrase some things awkwardly. For example, have you been shopping recently?" Alice asked.

"I have not." I answered simply.

"_Haven't_." Alice said pointedly.

"Alice, stop." I said suddenly, "I don't need help with English."

"Oh, come on, it's not like the Volturi paid enough attention to really help you with English." She said, exasperated, throwing her hands up, "I know that the Guard aren't really super emotional and caring."

I gritted my teeth, "You _don't_ know anything." I said lowly, and shot back up the stairs like a coward.

"You okay?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. What came out of my mouth was a surprised yelp, Dylan had never left my room. I had meant to say something, honestly, I had a whole angry tirade ready in my mind. Except, I couldn't remember because when I turned around his face was very close to my own and I found myself staring into his glinting topaz eyes.

"Y-…yeah." I stammered.

What's my name again?

Uh….. I was pretty sure I was making retarded 'uh-ah-errrr' noises in my thoughts.

His brow pulled together in a slight frown, tentatively, his finger tips traced the four long scars that ran down my cheek. Then his hand was on my neck, trailing down across my shoulder, and pausing where the scars stopped. He looked sad.

"I… I need to go… change my clothes." I finally spit out. The corner of Dylan's mouth twitched in amusement, asshole. "Well?" I asked, he was _still standing there_. "Out." I frowned at him.

His eyes glinted with silent laughter. He leaned closer to me, his lips almost tickling my ear, "So defensive." He murmured playfully.

"Out." I repeated, though it didn't come out nearly as strong as I wanted it to.

He chuckled and walked out rubbing the back of his head lightly as he went. As soon as the door closed, I flopped on my bed and tried to calm my racing heart. Oh, Alice was in trouble, a lot of trouble. I rubbed my face before rolling over and rummaging through my backpack for clothes. I found none that were clean, which added to my frustration.

In the dresser however, I was surprised to find a pair of faded jeans and a light and feminine white long sleeve shirt with a modest v-neck. I could tolerate that.

_The Volturi weren't emotional_, I sneered in my mind, _what the hell does she know? Who is she to judge people who enforce the law? Do humans see cops as kind and emotional or cold harsh figures of authority?_

Aro and his brothers conjured up a bad name for themselves. Heidi reminded me of Esme, Alec was like Jasper but more relaxed, Jane was like Rosalie though more protective and Felix… Felix was like Emmett, if Emmett were a little more role-model-ish.

If the Cullens met _my Volturi_, without their cloaks on, without knowing they were part of the Guard… they would get along fantastically.

I pressed my fingertips to my temples and sighed heavily. Talked about screwed up. I closed the door to 'my' room behind my silently as all but floated down the hallway. Heidi taught me how to do that, how to walk without making a single noise. Even to other vampires, the Volturi were known for 'mysteriously popping out of thin air'.

"Whoa!" Jacob literally walked into as he rounded the corner.

"_Ahi!_" I protested as his shoulder smacked into my nose, "Ouch dog-boy, where's the fire?" I laughed through my hand which was now covering my nose.

"Oh, shoot sorry Italy!" Jake said quickly.

A snarl tore from my throat. _Garrett_. "Don't _ever_ call me Italy ever again you filthy mutt! I will tear you apart, do you understand me!" I demanded, my forearm pressed against his neck.

"Sorry, sorry! Jeez!" He said quickly.

Whoa, mood swings much? I let him go and quickly apologized. Dylan was standing behind us and was looking at me oddly,

"Who used to call you Italy, Bex?" He asked suddenly. I stiffened.

"No one!" I snapped out instinctively, Dylan continued to look at me seriously, "A… a friend. Who isn't a friend anymore."

"Well, I'm sorry the asshole had the nerve to hurt you." He said through gritted teeth.

"Thanks." I murmured, feeling a warm little buzz in my heart.

"Uh, hate to break up the… moment," Jake snorted, "But, you know… BELLA'S GONNA BE HERE SOON!" He practically exploded.

"Calm your furry-self Jacob, I agreed to help you didn't I?" I asked tiredly.

"The come on!" He grabbed my arm and all but dragged me down the stairs.

"This is a bad idea." Dylan growled.

I paused, and looked him squarely in the eyes, "Dylan," I said, "In the last five days I've been here, I have done more good than I have in the rest of my life." My voice was thick with sadness, because it was true, "Danger isn't new to me Dylan, and I want to help Bella _and_ Renesmee… I want to actually get to know your family, and… and I hope Edward can't hear me right now," I prayed silently, "But I've dealt with newborns before Dylan, and if Bella attacks me I'm not just going to stand there like a helpless little girl."

Dylan's eyes were smoldering, his lips were slightly pursed. He hugged me. His chin rested the top of my head lightly. "Be careful." He whispered. That hurt more than I expected. My heart ached, I wanted so badly to trust him, to hold him, to know him.

"Why do you care?" I whispered to myself, stepping back.

_I remember a long, long time ago… the term love brought up caution. My brothers warned me, a heart was not to be toyed with. Lest it be broken beyond repair._

I shook my head, trying to rattle away the foggy thoughts. My heart ached, perhaps not just for my brother Felix anymore. But… what if he didn't want me? What if this was a mere passing curiosity? I knew I couldn't handle that, my heart couldn't be toyed with without shattering again.

"Nervous?" Jake broke me out of me thoughts.

"No." I said steadily.

"Good luck." He laughed.

"You to dog boy, when she finds out she might kill you." I said seriously. He looked wistful.

I heard whispering footsteps and squeezed my eyes shut. Newborns I dealt with, but she was… _a day old_. I'm not afraid, but nervous I suppose. My options are limited, and I don't want to get hurt, or hurt Bella.

"Ladies first." Jake held the door open for me but didn't go outside with me. No need. If Bella could stand my smell, why should she have to smell the dog too? I saw the two of them glint slightly in the faint light as I strode out across the lawn.

"Rebecca." Edward stepped out from the trees, looking incredibly surprised, "What are you doing?" He seemed worried.

"Relax." I said coolly, "Bella?" I asked softly, "I know you can hear me."

Tentatively, she stepped forward. She did look rather different, her hair was sleek, shimmering slightly with light red hues to it. Her skin was incredibly pale, her complexion beyond perfect, face shaped with soft angels, and of course bright red eyes.

Her eyes were locked on me, no doubt she was trained on my heartbeat and the body heat that she could probably feel me throwing off even from more than one hundred feet away. She looked, nervous, scared. So was I, my fingers were tingling with heat, _gotta be ready, gotta be ready_, my mind chanted. _Shut it!_ I hissed back at it, trying to keep myself from suddenly combusting.

"A few of… the Cullens," I paused, nearly saying 'a few of us', "Well, they would appreciate having a small test before you see your daughter. It would ease their nerves." I said as evenly as possible, keeping my face completely blank.

_Jacob Black is a dead man. Jacob Black is a dead man. Jacob Black is a DEAD MAN._

She stared at me. "E-... Edward I don't know if I can do this." She finally whispered. I felt my ears twitch slightly as I strained to hear her. Felix used to laugh at that, how my ears would prick up slightly when I'm really listening, he used to say it was just like a cat.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, then how was she going to control herself around Renesmee?

"Isabella," I addressed her calmly, "I assure you that you can't seriously harm me. And… several… people would rather have this happen with me than with your daughter. I don't fully believe you'll hurt me either, I have faith in your control. Right now, you are controlling yourself. I've met newborns who cannot say so much for themselves."

She blinked. "Who asked you to do this?"

I pursed my lips, as much as I was going to mutilate Jacob later, it was his place to tell her. "It's not my place to say."

"This is a bad idea." She murmured. I felt a tiny smile pull at the corner of my lips,

"I'm not known for my judgment skills Bella." I chuckled lowly.

Her eyes flicked up, and I saw her flinch slightly. What I didn't understand was _why_. I frowned, she saw that to, "I uh… just… well, you've been through a lot and…" She muttered.

Ah, the scars.

I felt that small smile disappear. Great. I shrugged, "Bygones." I said breezily, "Let's get this over with."

She looked torn.

"Oh, come on Bella, have faith in yourself. Would you really rather test this on Renesmee?" I pushed.

Bella cringed slightly and looked at Edward, "Hold onto me." She murmured. With that, Bella cautiously took a few steps forward, but I could tell she was holding her breath. I could feel my heart pounding, _stop that, slow down_, I internally scolded it. Edward's eyes darted between me and her constantly as she got within striking distance. Then she was less than fifteen feet away from me, I began to feel even more nervous. My skin was crawling.

"Take a whiff." I tried to joke lightly. She leaned forward hesitantly and inhaled. I saw her tense, locking herself in place, her throat clench.

She leaned back and blinked, "S'not as bad as I thought it would be." She said, her voice sounding a little rough. I smiled broadly.

"Great, that's awesome." I said sincerely. "JAAAAAKE!" I yelled loudly. "C'mon out, your turn." I said, and darted off to go get him. I heard Bella gasp and smirked a little to myself. Jake was standing just inside the doorway.

"Well?" He asked.

"Obviously, she didn't kill me." I shrugged, "Now you get to go tell her you imprinted on her daughter and see what happens."

He scowled, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

I walked over to Rosalie who was holding Renesmee and tickled the babies stomach. "Nessie, your mommies back." I cooed. The cute little thing giggled and her hands wound through my hair curiously. Then, she reached up with her other hand and touched my cheek. I saw a flash of Bella's face, still human, right after Nessie was born.

"That's right. She looks a little different now though." I smiled pleasantly.

She pressed her hand to my cheek again. It was an image of Bella holding her, then me standing next to her, and her noting how we were 'similar'. Then, Bella with her again, and me by myself.

"Oh…" I managed, "Um, well you see… it's different." I finally nodded seriously.

She shook her head. Damn it.

"When some kids get older they don't live with their parents." I said slowly, feeling my eyes narrow. Nessie twisted around in Rose's arms and copied me, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not having this argument with you."

I heard Rosalie laugh lightly, "Aw, what is Nessie asking about this time?"

I grimaced, "My mother." I said with a hint of disgust.

Rose frowned, "Well, why don't you like your m-"

"Leave it Rose." I said tiredly.

Rose smiled sadly, "You know, sooner or later it may help you to talk to someone about all of that." She said seriously.

I didn't bother with an answer. My throat felt tight. I sat down on the couch across from Rose and pursed my lips. "Rose… at this point, I'm not so sure anything would help." I said, curling my knees up towards my chin. I leaned back and sighed, "I barely even knew the woman myself." I closed my eyes.

"I'm sorry." Rose said softly. She walked away almost silently, to go with the rest of the family where Bella would finally meet her child. I heard them talking, gasping, laughing. I heard how Jacob hadn't told Bella yet.

I curled up and tried to will myself to sleep. It was less than a minute before I felt someone sit beside me.

"Tired?" Dylan asked.

"A little." I admitted, "Seems that a lot goes on at this place."

He chuckled, "More so recently."

"Was it always like that?" I murmured.

"No." He said, "I lived with the Denali's for a few years, but when I got here it was never completely normal. Edward was dating Bella, and they'd had a run in with a tracker about a year or more back, he killed the tracker. Jasper took a snap at her by accident, Edward left her to protect her. It crushed her, she went to Volterra to stop him from-"

"Killing himself." I breathed, "I know."

He smiled slightly, making me relax which should have bothered me. When did I find his smiles comforting? "I forget you met them before I did." He said wistfully, "When I arrived, a the tracker's mate and her army were after Bella, and Alice's visions were tracking a hybrid with purple eyes…" He smiled mischievously.

"Mmm… and then everything went to hell." I mused.

"Well, sort of." He admitted, shifting (most likely) unconsciously towards me.

"Hmm…" I hummed out, and just as unconsciously ended up leaning against him.

He chuckled, "So you are tired."

"Very." I muttered, and getting more tired by the second. I whistled sharply, "Sav!" My faithful little wolf trotted up to me and leapt into my lap. "Good girl." I stroked her soft ears.

"Sav?" Dylan asked, "Savel, you called her, what does that mean?"

"It's an adaptation for the Italian word _safety_ or someone who was saved." I started to explained, "I was traveling with G-… a friend when we stumbled upon a hunter who had shot Savel's mother. I scared him off, and decided to adopt her because…" I trailed off.

"You felt sorry for her." Dylan finished, his hands threaded through my hair gently. His finger skimmed along my cheek gently. I was falling asleep fast.

"I wanted to do something good for someone." I muttered lamely.

I leaned back, my head and shoulders resting in his lap. Impulsive. I didn't think about it, I just cuddled up against him like it was _right_. Savel curled up on my stomach and licked Dylan's arms. I sighed happily, "She likes you." I said through drooping eyelids.

"Well, I'm glad she approves." Dylan whispered into my ear.

_Yeah well I don't you asshole. Stop playing games and trying to be Mr. Smooth and charming 'cause I ain't buying! Stay away from me!_

_I approve too! I love you, I like you, a lot! Please let me curl up and just stay here forever._

And with those two conflicting thoughts, I was asleep in his cold arms.

**Taddddaaaaaa! Aren't they cute together? I think so. ^.^**

**On a side note, I must recognize that I could not have written this story without my new favorite band **_**E. S. Posthumus**_**, they write absolutely amazing cinema-rock music, it literally helps me put this story together by making me see it in my head like and action movie. If you haven't heard them… look up either 'New Beginnings' or 'Unstoppable'!**

**As of now, I have sixty nine reviews, and I would like to take an opportunity to thank all of my generous reviewers for their continued support of my story. Really, thanks you guys, without you I would have given up on this story after chapter two. I love you all! Truly, you keep me inspired and writing because I don't want to disappoint you guys.**

**At least, I hope I don't disappoint you guys! ;)**

**Thanks to anyone who's helped me with grammar and spelling, all of you have helped me improve my English so don't hesitate to bring up an mistake I make!**

**Readers= Great**

**Reviewers= Amazing 3**

**So please review! Have a nice day/night/whatever it is!**

**~Zeri!~**


	25. Chapter 24 Resurface

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

Chapter 24- Resurface

**Rebecca POV-**

I'm running.

Running, as fast as I possibly could. I didn't know where or why, but I was running as if it were for my life. Gulping down air, I turned and followed a scent, nose trained on it like a hound.

I scrambled around in the woods, sliding to my knees and stopping beside a large fir tree. My heart was pounding as I looked around the other side. A girl. Black hair, dark hazel eyes. She was holding a knife in her hands, her lips are twisted slightly into a sick smile.

"W-who… are you?" I ask, trembling as she flipped the knife around in her hand.

"You know who I am." She says coolly, her lips twitching, "And I know who you are."

She plunges the knife into her own arm without flinching. My throat sears in response, she laughs.

"Oh… you're in pain Rebecca? Didn't I tell you it would happen? That your… _father_ can't protect you?" She asks. I real, the thirst was begging to overpower me.

I couldn't stop myself as I stepped forward, my hands on her neck. A sudden sharp pain in temples floored me. Literally, I fell to the ground. The woman stood, a satisfied smirk on her face, she blinked twice and her eyes slowly turned red. She smiled.

"I told you that you would burn."

_Violetta._

I gasped and jerked awake.

"Rebecca?" Dylan's voice asked.

'_You'll burn. One way or another, in this life or the next. You will burn for your sins.'_

"Dylan." I cleared my head, "Um… what time is it?" I asked.

"About four in the morning, did you have a bad dream?" He asked innocently, his eyebrows pulling together, Savel stirred on my lap. My breathing was fast, in and out rapidly multiple times per second.

"Sort of." I gasped out, stroking Savel to try to calm my nerves.

"About?" He pried.

"Nothing." I shook my head, but curled myself closer to him, watching a candle on top of the fireplace dance tensely.

Dylan sighed and wrapped his arms around me, I was all but sitting in his lap.

"C'mon, nothing is a whole lot of something." He persisted.

I bit back a growl and bristles silently for a second, "A very quick way to annoy me is for you to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

He leaned back slightly and I slipped out of his lap, sitting opposite of him with narrow eyes. He stared back at me for a few seconds, opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"You need to start trusting people, Rebecca." He finally said.

I felt my emotions tipping towards analyzing Dylan as an enemy, and quickly reigned them in. I stood up, lest they start to get out of hand, "Be careful." I muttered lowly with venom. "You don't know who you're speaking to nor what you are asking." I said over my shoulder as I walked out of the room, all fuzzy happy feeling effectively killed.

Dylan stood and grabbed my arm, I froze. "Then help me understand." He said sincerely.

I ground my teeth together. Options, options. Safety and security, or… or trying something new. Logic and instinct ruled my mind almost all the time, now, it took a back seat occasionally. I looked him in the eye with a steely glower, "You can't." I grumbled.

"Really? Try me." He challenged, his eyes tightening slightly, dark hair spilling around his face and sweeping around his eyes.

"I don't think like you." I whispered lowly, noticing that we were standing very close together, and that the tension in the air was practically tangible, "Things to me are black or white, there is no 'why' no reason, no explanation needed. If something is, then it is. I don't try to act friendly because friendship doesn't matter. Life isn't about friends. Life is about you versus them, you versus can't, versus won't, versus what they think, versus what they can throw at you. And you know what? When the going gets tough, nine times out of ten, _you will be on. your. own."_ I spit out the last words with painful honesty.

Dylan sighed and closed his eyes, as if the thought caused _him_ pain. Ha! His eyes flicked open and locked on mine, "I'm sorry that you think like that. Because that's not what everyone's like. Not what we're like."

"Not what _you're_ like?" I challenged, searching his eyes for the slightest hint of a lie.

"Not. What. I'm. Like." He said precisely, lowly, almost angrily if I could believe that. "And I don't know how I can get you to believe that not everyone is like those… those… _bastards_ you've had to deal with."

I looked at the floor, feeling ashamed. He means well, but it seemed too little too late. "I can't make you understand Dylan, I don't know that you'll ever… grasp how I really feel about what I've done," I said softly, "sometimes… I'll wake up and it doesn't even seem real to me. When it does, I hope it wasn't." I bit my lip slightly. I didn't expect him to accepted me, or even want to be around me. To my surprise, he didn't turn away but gently held my chin against his hand and stared into my eyes as I felt them start to water.

"I don't know why," He breathed, "but I want to help you, I _need_ to help you. I want you to be happy, to feel better. If you need it, I'll listen, I'll talk with you, I'll leave you alone if you want." He said earnestly.

His gaze felt… penetrating, like it was so pure and caring that it _hurt_ because I didn't feel I deserved it.

"I guess… I guess we could… talk sometime." I finally muttered, looking anywhere except at him.

I heard him sigh and footsteps walking out of the room. Emotional waves were crashing all around me, swirling and mixing in ways I didn't even understand. Why was I feeling like this? I didn't know. My stomach turned, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I felt defenseless, even a bit useless. The odds were up, and when the cards were down, I was always at a disadvantage. Sometimes it felt like I was walking through the dark. Alone.

So why did it hurt so much to think about walking with Dylan instead? He could leave, I would have to tell him… tell him about all those things. I pressed my fingers against my lips to try to smother a tiny sob that gasped through.

_Where are they now, huh Rebecca, where are they now?_ They left.

I can't let myself be hurt again, I won't make it next time. If anyone knew that, they didn't tell. But something can only be broken so many times before it shatters.

I saw something glistening on the light, cream colored carpet. My eyes widened, my own tears.

_How many times had I said, 'no more tears, no more friends, no more heartache'?_

Scared. I was scared of facing everything I'd been avoiding. Scared to trust… and take risks.

"Rebecca…?" Esme asked softly, standing in the hallway, looking so concerned it just… just… _shattered_ my heart.

I whirled around and bolted for the door like a coward, as I did, tears poured down freely. The door swung open and I sprinted out into the cold night, no destination in mind, just away. Away from the painful concoction of emotions in truth, away from the reality I couldn't face. Maybe I wouldn't come back at all, perhaps that would be better for me.

Two cool arms wrapped around my stomach, I tripped and toppled to the ground.

"No!" I shrieked and pushed against the figure as hard as I could, but my strength was spent and my body had given up long ago.

"You can't just runaway from everything! We can help you!" He was all but straddling me, trying to prevent me from bolting into the night and disappearing into the dark woods, to be swallowed up and never return. "Don't leave, _please_, I need you to stay."

"No! Let me go, _asino_, I hate you! I hate you!" I thrashed and fought through blurred tears, slipping around in dirt and mud, but he held me against the wet grass.

"Okay." Was all he said.

"I hate you! Let me go, let me-go!" My voice cracked as I choked out the last word. It sunk in, that I couldn't get away, that I couldn't runaway anymore, that I had no strength left to fight or run, that I had been… defeated. Just never in the way I had expected. I flopped against the ground and howled.

"Rebecca, please stay, please…" Dylan begged. I glowered at him.

"Stay?" I demanded, "I don't have a _choice_ anymore! You think I can leave now? I can't! You made me trust you, want to be around you! You and your family, Alice! Rosalie! Carlisle! Esme! Jacob! You made me believe you cared!" I shrieked at him, "You wouldn't if you knew!"

"Of c-"

"_Shut up!_" I screamed. "Shut up! You don't _get it_! I didn't want to stay, I never did! You wanted me around! Congratulations! I can't leave, I have _no_ strength left Dylan! So good for you, you got what you want, I hope you're happy!" I spit at him, feeling angry and cornered.

I realize now how painful that was for him. Stoically, he took my harsh words, "I'm trying to help." He said through gritted teeth.

"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP! I WON'T YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" I exploded hysterically, "Let me go, let me go, let me g-go!" I tried to shove him, hit him, but he didn't budge an inch. I ended up with my fingers twisted in his shirt, sobbing.

"Rebecca?" He asked quietly after almost a minute, "Do you still want me to leave?"

I swallowed hard, "No." I said quietly.

"Do _you_ want to leave?"

I ducked my head, "No."

He breathed out slowly. I ground my teeth. "I... Dylan?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't hate you." I murmured, glaring at the stars.

_Stupid stars, I hate you. Ugly stupid balls of gas, making me spill my guts, stupid emotions, stupid ugly stars…_

"I know." He chuckled softly, which made me redirect my glare at him because I thought he was being cocky. But he wasn't. He was calmly looking out of the woods, silver moonlight glistening off his eyes. "Where were you going to go?" He asked.

"Somewhere." I grumbled lowly.

He looked at me like I was crazy, "By yourself?" He demanded, almost angrily, "With no supplies? No… nothing?" He asked.

I stuck my chin out and growled lowly.

"Do I seem _needy_ to you?" I ground out angrily.

He blinked thinking over what he was going to say, "Well no…"

"Good." I snapped, "Then don't imply it." I shifted uncomfortably, "Oh and one more thing…" I motioned for him to come a little closer and bent my head so my lips were close to his ear. "Get. Off. Me." I snarled.

He blinked in surprise, and then in a quick blur was standing at my side. After a second or two he offered his hand to help me up. Anger bubbled like bile in my throat. Like I _needed_ help getting up, like I was actually some… some… _incompetent_, stupid, _fragile_… plain old human. I'm sure he meant well but for my entire life I'd never taken lightly to being underestimated. I felt my jaw clench slightly before I took his hand.

And he winced.

"Dylan?" I asked in surprise as he pressed his hand against his stomach.

"Uh, it's nothing." He said and we walked back to the house in an awkward silence, my arms folded across my chest, and his jammed in his pockets. We looked like quiet the awkward pair walking back in the now slightly dented front door. I could feel still damp tears smeared over my cheek, my hair was tangled from rolling in dirt.

"Well… you two look like you had fun." Emmett whistled as he walked up to us. I hissed lowly at his joke, curling my lip over my teeth. Dylan grimaced and smacked his brother on the back of the head. Emmett playfully hit him back, which surprisingly knocked him over, he landed on his side and his face seemed obscured in pain.

"Whoa, dude, you okay little bro?" Emmett picked him up off the ground and set him on his feet.

Dylan blew out a shaky breath, "Broken ribs." He grumbled under his breath, like he was embarrassed.

"Didn't hit you that hard." Emmett defended himself as he received a stern look from Carlisle. "Honest!"

"Wasn't you." He muttered, glowering at the ground.

"Oh!" I gasped. Two pairs of eyes flickered up to mine, I could feel panic building in my chest. I hurt him. In my frenzy to try to get away, I hurt him. "Mi dispiaci!" I said quickly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't-... I wasn't thinking..." I stammered quickly before trailing off. Dylan was laughing at me.

"Why are you apologizing?" He chuckled, "I should have known better than to tackle you like that, it was practically asking to get punched." An amused smile spread across his lips, he ruffled my hair playfully as I gaped at him.

"The bones should set just fine, usually they just crack which causes a throbbing pain. Common injury really…" Carlisle mused.

I glanced around the room uncomfortably until I saw Seth, wearing a shoulder brace, playing with Savel. She was yipping and running circles around him, trying to bite at his messy hair.

"Seth?" I asked, "Are you injured as well?" I folded myself on the floor next to him, scratching my pup's ears absently.

He chuckled and nodded, "Bell found out Jake imprinted." He said simply with a shrug, "Couldn't let her take Jake's head off, didn't think she would but… just to be safe."

"So, she didn't take it well then…" I muttered.

"Haha!" Jacob laughed nervously from the other room.

"Well, not originally, but she's better now. She gets it, she's not happy but she understands I guess." He nodded slowly.

"Hm." I muttered wordlessly, rubbing my arm.

"Whoa, how'd you get those?" Seth asked suddenly, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.

I looked down and saw what he was talking about, three tiny twisted scars on my forearm. I flexed the muscle gently, making the other hundreds of marks and burns jump out. Seth gasped quietly.

"I don't remember how I got all of them." I said quietly. That was a lie, I remembered every fight, scrutinized over the details, and lied over the story to make it a little less horrible. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to force down the memories, each so real. As if I could feel every single cut opening up, the thousands of tears and fights, the blows exchanged and roaring infernos I started with no goal except to kill.

Destroy.

I gritted my teeth. I'm not there anymore. I'm not there anymore.

Not.

There.

Anymore.

I have _changed_. I _will heal._

I blew a breath out of my nose and opened my eyes to see Seth's concerned face.

"Edward told me you were a Volturi." He stated simply. The mention of the name drew a growl form my chest.

"Mmm…" I nodded, "They raised me."

"So… you're like… one of them?" He asked.

"No." I snarled, "I'm not. I was their 'project', and they acted as though they owned my life." I let out a short, breathy laugh, "Oh… they were wrong."

"Yeah, I bet." Seth laughed freely, as if this were all in the past. Over.

"Don't be so sure of the end, pup." I muttered leaning back, resting my elbow on my knee.

"What'd ya mean?" He asked.

I looked at him questioningly, "You think the Volturi just let people walk out of their castle? No. I've been hunted since I left, and I don't anticipate them to give up anytime soon."

"That's horrible!" Seth protested, "Why can't they leave you alone."

"Good question." I smirked, "I scared Aro when I met him. A four-year-old hybrid who could wipe out a vampire if she so wanted… of course they want to keep that power." I dropped my head slightly, chewing my lip. Here I was, admitting they would never let me go. Wasn't that dangerous? I couldn't involve them in this mess, such a perfect family with no problems. Everyone here had healed, they were whole.

I had nothing but an empty heart and the scars of battle.

"How come you won't tell anyone your story?" Seth asked suddenly, "I'm sure it's really interesting, but you won't say a peep. I had to drag that tiny bit out and it was barely anything."

I felt my fists clench in response.

"It's difficult to tell and I don't really _want_ to relive all of it." I ground out.

"Everyone else has. Jasper did, and he had a really rough road-" He was cut off by my murderous glare.

"It. Is. Not. The. Same." I spit through my teeth, I could feel myself shaking slightly.

"Seth." Dylan's calm voice interrupted our argument. I couldn't tear my eyes from Seth, who looked a little shocked at my outburst. I heard him cross the room and felt has arms around my waist. He lifted me off the ground. "Come on, let's go get you a glass of water." He said softly.

He all but dragged me out of that room, I was still glaring daggers at the idiotic mutt who dared to probe too far. Then we were in the kitchen. I slouched against the counter as Dylan rifled through the cabinets. He pulled out a glass and took my hand in his.

"Hold." He said with the slightest flicker of a smile. I narrowed my eyes at him but held into the glass he put in my hand.

He removed a jug from the fridge and poured water into it. "Drink."

"Not thirsty." I said simply.

He set the jug down and looked in my eyes, scrutinizing? Judging? Analyzing? I didn't know.

"I bet you are." He said slowly.

"Would it make you leave me alone?" I asked. He smirked.

"Maybe."

I lifted the glass and drank the water quickly, feeling the cold liquid slide down my throat, and shivering slightly. Cold. Disgusting.

I much prefer the taste of warm tea. After a few more seconds, I set down the glass on the table, and awkwardly watched Dylan watch me.

"So… that's a no for you leaving me alone." I finally guessed. He shrugged and then leaned against the counter next to me, effectively invading my 'personal bubble'.

"Nope." He sighed, "I was talking to Jasper-"

"Joy." I interrupted, "Your brothers imparting their wisdom again?"

He scowled before continuing, "And I think he's right. He said that you're acting just like he was before he met Alice, save for the situation and the fact that… you're a girl, but he thinks the emotions are near identical."

Now I scowled, "So?"

"So, I think you should talk to him. Wouldn't it be easier to talk to someone who's been through something similar?"

"I don't need to talk to anyone." I grumbled. But it was almost pathetic sounding, because the more he pushed the more I realized he was right. I folded my arms across my chest and sighed in defeat. "Oh… you… stupid, persistent vampire." I muttered.

He hugged me. Hugged me. I stiffened. There was sincerity radiating off him, and a kind of warmth that instantly reminded me of distant childhood memories. I felt myself melt into his arms, like they were shaped for _me_. Vampires had one true mate, I knew that much, they found only one in eternity. Dylan thought he loved me, though I didn't know if that meant that we were… 'mates'. Because I honestly didn't know what it felt like, and I had always thought that I never wanted to love of a man in my life.

Perhaps I did.

Perhaps there was another world to the one I knew.

If I could go back in time, I found myself wondering what I would change. If I had not been saved by Felix, I would not have been a Volturi, but slowly burnt to death. If Felix had not helped me escape, I would be a vampire. If Connie and Annalise hadn't helped me, the Volturi would have captured me.

Then, so many times I could have given up on myself. Alone, I'd traveled hundreds of miles and conquered what I often considered my greatest enemy. Myself.

Sometimes, I wish I could give it all up, and simply lay down. What of it? What of me? Beneath the scars, that stains on the conscious, am I someone else? Would I be someone different? Am I someone different now?

A soldier. A conqueror, a survivor, and a child. Every child is born as many things, with the ability to grow up into hundreds of different careers. We are all born as many men, but we all die as one. Some days, the only real things in my life were the pain I beard from the past. I focused on the memories I couldn't forget to ground myself, to keep my sanity.

What have I become?

Everything I knew had blow away in the wind.

I glanced up at Dylan, _you can have it all_, I thought silently, _you can have my empire of dirt…_

In the face of change, do we become a different person? Is there some kind of miraculous metamorphosis that brings light to our lives and brings about an epiphany? I have lived life not knowing many hundreds of things, and fighting for various causes and people. Some I did not support, which made fighting for what I believed in painful. Believing in something… was new, putting trust and even _hope_ into someone was near impossible for me.

If he only knew.

That there was something off about me because of what I'd lived through, and that there probably always will be.

Would he still love me then?

"Rebecca?" I heard Dylan ask. Do I believe in myself? Do I believe that I can trust, and love?

Not yet, not yet. The feelings and scars lay fresh in my mind, as fresh as ever.

"I'll talk to Jasper." I muttered quietly, looking away from his eyes. I felt him sadden, because we both knew that I had emotionally withdrawn, my automatic reaction when I became unsure.

_How many promises have I put faith in, to have my dreams shattered like glass?_

My heart ached again. After cruelty, could you teach a soul to love and trust again, when was it just to damaged?

"Okay." He muttered, stepping back sand nodding, his lips pursed, "Okay."

I caught his arm as he walked away, "I-… I'm sorry." I stuttered.

He smiled sadly, "I know."

I sprinted up to my room and collapsed on the floor, shaking violently. Tears spilled from my eyes as I curled into a ball on the corner, sobbing senselessly, the horrors of everything I'd fought through replaying before my eyes at once. I cried and cried, alone as I wanted, for I had locked the door. Not that it would keep anyone out, but they would know.

It was like a never ending cycle. I wanted to be better, to feel and love. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I hated this, hated the pity… hated how I distanced myself.

'Oh, poor Becca, she's just misunderstood!'

Ridiculous! All of it!

I needed to heal, someone just had to offer their hand…

_And you can have it all, my empire of dirt,_

_I will let you down, I will make you hurt,_

_If I could start again, a million miles away,_

_I would keep myself,_

_I would find a way._

_-Johnny Cash, Hurt_

**Sooo… Yeah. A little more not so happiness, but a lot more happiness to come in the following chapters, I promise. Mmmm k? I started school last week… so that's why this update it slow.**

**I hope you enjoyed it, and possibly listen to the genius that is Johnny Cash! Review! Thanks guys and gals!**

**-Zeri**


	26. Chapter 25 Move On

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 25- Move On**

**Rebecca-**

"So, I guess… I could just listen, and maybe help you sort some of this out, okay?" He asked, sitting back in the chair, the only other one in the room, opposite mine.

I nodded absently, not even looking at him, already lost in the story I was about to tell.

"Look, I know this is hard-"

"I grew up in Western Italy, in a tiny village called Valle Celeste." I breathed, wringing my hands together. Jasper pursed his lips and nodded.

"Good."

"I was my father's pride and joy, he was my world. After my mother 'died', we were all we had." I said softly, "I didn't know what had happened to her back then…"

"So you lived a normal life?"

"Yes." I breathed, "Until I begun to find I could manipulate fire. And a new woman moved into town, deeply religious, saw sins in all of us and kept telling us that we must cleanse our souls." I felt my hands tighten as I began to talk to her, "When I was four, I was attacked by a rabid dog."

I paused, "And?" Jasper asked.

"I burned it. Violetta knew somehow and declared I was some kind of demon, a monster that had be damned by God that must be destroyed." I growled through the lost part, "They came to my home and pulled me from my father's arms, chained me to a post… and Violetta dropped the match. I was going to be burned at the stake."

Jasper blinked, "And that was when Felix rescued you."

"Yes, he and Heidi saved my life." I nodded, "At first, I was rather thrilled with my new life in the castle, I was allowed to explore and play so long as I had one of the Guard with me. My father I missed terribly… but still, I was four. Heidi and Felix kept me entertained and happy, they were my best friends and anything I needed. For the first year or so, I lived in the castle as the little sister of the vampire mafia." I chuckled, "That was Felix's term for it. Then, I began having regular meetings with the masters-"

"Who?" He asked, confused.

"Aro, Marcus, Cauis." I said blandly.

"And you didn't get along with them."

"Actually, Aro was rather friendly, it was Cauis whom I disliked. As for Marcus… he seemed to always be lurking in the shadows, I never got to know him that well. Aro seemed fascinated with me, spent hours picking through my thoughts. As I got older, I bonded with Felix and Jane. Jane seemed to have a similar end to her humanity as the event that brought me to Volterra, her brother as well. We bounded, she and I were both quiet, both she was much more… aggressive than I. Felix became my older brother, he was protective and goofy… and I miss him even now." I murmured lowly.

Jasper nodded again, "You saw a completely different side of the Volturi."

"I did. But in many ways they were still the same Volturi that all vampires know and fear, I trained all the time as I got older, sparring with all of them, especially with Demitri because he made me angry. Aro did that on purpose, tried to make me angry so I could use my 'gift'. Heidi started acting like my mom… but not even she could stop the vote."

"The vote?" Jasper leaned forward.

"I'm part human, Jasper, you know just as well as I do that I'm breaking the law." I said solemnly.

"But… you were _part_ of the Volturi, surely they could make an exception." He muttered, mostly to himself. "You were even like them."

"But there's one big difference." I sighed, "One day… if Demitri never gets his chance, I'll be older. One day my heart will stop beating. One day I'll die."

Jasper had a pained look on his face, "So they voted on… what? Your life?"

"They were voting on when to change me. Jane, Heidi, Felix, Alec and Santiago were almost always on my side though so I managed to avoid getting killed until the date was set for my sixteenth birthday." I glowered, searching the ground, "Everything Aro would tell me… I started seeing that he was trying control me, manipulate me. It made me furious, I… I hated him. It was _my_ life, it still is. Nobody can control me, I'm nobodies to force to do anything." My hands trembled in clenched fists.

Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder, "That's why you hate it when people try to talk with you. It reminds you of how they tried to control you." He said softly.

I felt my eyes tighten, "I can't forget the things I did for them, simply because they told me to. I killed countless newborns… my own mother was brought before the thrown when I was eight. She was out of control, barely remembered me. It tore my heart out. The next week, I was walking through the castle when Demitri brought in another newborn that looked like her, I lost it. All my emotion just caught fire, like and explosion and I nearly killed Demitri with the newborn." A tear formed in my eye, "I just… why… why my own mother… s-she wanted to kill me. She didn't recognize her own daughter."

Jasper remained silent.

"I felt… alone, I suppose. At that time, I thought I was the only one like me in the entire world. I would sit at a café and watch humans walk by, analyzing them, trying to understand what their lives were like. In the same way, I watched visitors who came to Volterra, vampires, and observed them. How they walked so smoothly, spoke with musical voices, moved with graceful and lethal elegance." I sighed lowly, "And when Carlisle visited… I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He took the monster commonly accepted and found a substitute. His morals were flawless, no doubt he hadn't the tiniest stain on his soul. It was more than I could say for myself, and he was equally fascinated with my… condition. He was my first friend outside of the castle in ages. Without him, I would have died the day I met him at the hands of a rogue newborn."

"Ah, he told us about that." Jasper chuckled, "Never thought he had it in him."

A smile pulled at my lips, "The situation makes the man, whatever the demands are, one must rise to meet them. Change if it is required."

He looked at me oddly, "You believe that?"

"Of course." I said bluntly, "Don't you?"

He shifted, "I believe that situations can influence us, but it is up to us to mold how we emerge from them and learn from them. Sometimes it is better to stand firm and accept the consequences."

"And if the consequences are death?" I challenged. Jasper sighed,

"I suppose yours is a unique situation."

I barked out a short laugh, "Unique is a good word."

"I suppose it didn't help that you were there when Edward… uh… tried to," Jasper cleared his throat guiltily, "get you guys to kill himself."

I pursed my lips, "Yes. That was odd, at first Felix had me panicked, he was truly worried. Felix is odd like that, he has this sixth sense for when bad things are going to happen, but Aro ignores it. He believes Felix to be a complete imbecile. Your brother… annoyed me, I didn't like him prying in my mind. My thoughts are private, so I found him very irritating. But Bella… she was so human, and innocent when she came to save him. So terrified. I couldn't believe Aro would want to kill her at first… all of them, even Alice. Join or die. And when they were talking in the waiting room," I sucked in a shaky breath, "I started losing it. Why couldn't the guard care like they cared for each other, why wasn't I allowed to remain human…?" I sounded like a child but I didn't care. I clenched and unclenched my hands, staring at them, the twisted scars from numerous burns still danced around my hands.

"That's when I left. With Felix's help, I ran to the airport with you brother and Alice." I whispered, "Felix put me on the first flight to London with a fake ID, a backpack, my bow and nothing more. I miss him so much." I muttered pathetically, and sniffed. Jasper hugged me gently.

"Life in London was tough. I worked a few jobs, tried my hand at being a bounty hunter… it was scary. I was completely alone, I had nothing. The first week I spent in a hotel trying to find work, when I ran out I spent the nights at homeless shelters until I made enough money to rent an apartment. It was a tiny two room thing…" I smiled slightly, remembering the great swelling pride the day I had enough to leave the shelter, "I ran into two nomads not long after that, named Connie and Annalise Blitz, they were adoptive siblings. They thought I was a human who knew too much until I showed them my… brand." The last word caught in my throat like bile.

Jasper quirked an eyebrow at me, "Brand?"

I sighed and rolled up my sleeve, the intricate and unique brand of the Volturi still embossed on my skin. "The brand is 100% unique to the Guard, we are the only ones who have it, so that anyone who attacks us or finds us knows who we are, and more importantly what we represent. It's just more difficult and risky for a vampire to get a brand. About a century ago, a prospect was killed when a branding went wrong and they caught on fire." I remembered hearing that story from Alec.

"And then Demitri tracked me down." I murmured, "Connie came up with a split second plan, we escaped through the sewer and swam across the channel to France. I decided that I wanted to know more about my mother, find her, or whoever changed her. So I needed to find the archives, in Russia."

"I thought they belonged to the Romanians…?"

"Found that out the hard way." I grimaced, "They weren't so quick to trust me, taunted me, wouldn't take me seriously. It infuriated me, they had me fight a newborn just to see the records. I don't know why but I was just… angry… and I couldn't stop hating them, they were trying to control me, acting like I didn't count because of what I was." I felt more angry tears pouring down my face, "No one ever took me seriously. I left Con and 'lise so they wouldn't get hurt while I searched, and nearly got myself killed by a Child of the Moon two days later. I was traveling alone, crossed Europe in a day. The werewolf told me there were others like me, trying to lure me in before it attacked, I couldn't react… fast enough." My hand absently traced the scars on my cheek.

"So that's what did it…" Jasper sucked in a breath.

"Yeah." I traced the lines all the way down to my shoulder, "It caused the first venom-attack to. It was terrifying, I thought I was dying." My fists clenched again, several other scars shown as the muscles flexed, "When I finally woke up, I was so confused, and horrified, I was absolutely soaked in my own blood. Enough that I knew I should have died, but didn't. I'd never felt so alone and scared in my life, but I… I had to keep going. I wanted to _kill_ whoever dared to harm my mother. Whoever turned her into a monster." The last part was a snarl.

I was angry, I could feel it, Jasper could feel it too. Tiny flames burst randomly around my fingers before flicking out as another took it place.

"And did you?"

"I traveled to Egypt, where I was told how much of a monster William Jennings was, how much of a monster _that I _was…" I grumbled, "Then to India, flew to Germany where a werewolf was waiting for me, blew up the airport, saved the Senator's daughter…"

"Why?" He asked, "Why was she important to you?"

"I connected with him. I can't explain it, but we shared something. Without meaning to, he saved what shreds of sanity I had left, and I couldn't just let the girl die. I woke up a few days later in a hospital, under full witness protection as Nicole Aster." I smiled, "Senator Pierce got me on a aircraft carrier ship across the ocean, I puked me guts out the whole way… and got… sick." I pursed my lips.

"How so?"

"My throat burned like crazy." I whispered, "I had a mental breakdown when we landed and I left Pierce, I just lost it. I _wanted to die_… and when I wandered outside…" My breath hitched, "I might as well have died a little that night."

Jasper frowned, "What do you mean, did someone hurt you?" I didn't miss the slight hint of anger in his voice.

"No." I choked, tears welling in my eyes, "It was the other way around. He wanted me to call an ambulance, he was just bleeding so bad… and I-… I…"

I waited for him to shout at me, tell me I was a freak, that I had no excuse, to throw me out of the house.

Instead, he rested his hand on top of mine, "Everybody," He said seriously, "and I mean, _everybody_, slips up Rebecca. Save for Carlisle, I don't know a single vampire that ain't killed in their life." He said seriously.

"Except I'm not actually a vampire." I muttered guiltily.

"Right, you're halfway to a _newborn_ Becca!" Jasper exclaimed, "You know how bad newborn control is, so the way I figure, you got as much control as I do when the thirst actually kicks in. And I woulda killed someone who fell over me bleedin' in a split second." He was honest.

It actually made me feel better.

"I can feel what you're feeling." He said lowly, "It tore you apart, didn't it?"

I nodded.

"And then… Will found me, while I was crying. At first I was relieved to find him, so happy to meet my brothers and sister. But… after a while, Will's mind control wore off a little…" I frowned, "I began to see he treated his family like a military organization, always fighting, always training. He wanted to take down the Volturi. I protested and he attacked me, Luke did as well, and Arin and Hannah. I was shocked, so shocked, that my own family would turn on me so quickly. He was the father I dreamed of, bouncing between hating and loving him, and then he wanted to kill me."

I was shaking slightly.

"You're very brave." Jasper said seriously, "Most people who've been through half of what you have turn out insane, or monsters, killing hundreds of people… angry at the world."

My lips pulled into a sneer, "The last may be true in some degree."

"Less than you think." Jasper said softly, "I can feel what you feel, you care, you… you feel regret and sorrow, ambition. You want to make a change, to move on. You just don't know how."

I sighed heavily, rubbing my temples, "Experience made me very quick to shut people out, to turn aggressive, offensive rather than defense. The best way to protect yourself is to be the one attacking, so I've learned. Especially after William. I ran until I found a clearing which I had hoped would be a village. It wasn't, it was a cliff, sheer drop into a river. I _hate_ water, but I really had no choice. I was also pretty badly injured, Will had held a sword against my neck."

"The same sword you had with you." Jasper muttered in realization.

"Very same." I nodded, "Which led to the second venom attack. A nomad… named… G-Garrett saved my life. He pulled me out of the river, and his plucky jokes and laughter actually started healing me. For the first time in a long time, I found myself joking, dancing, and laughing." I felt my expression soften as I relived the buzz-like happiness, "His happiness radiated all around him, he traveled with me though I refused to give him any information about myself. It didn't bother him, he bought me food and clothing… he was there when I saved Savel. He helped me start playing violin again, even guitar, harmonica… and we would play by a bonfire each night like we were teenagers camping out on vacation." I smiled despite myself.

"You trusted him." Jasper said.

"In a way, it was more he trusted me enough to not ask questions, so I had no problems with him." I shrugged.

"So… what happened?" Jasper asked, "You seem to avoid the memories of Garrett more than the rest."

I swallowed hard, "Because… well…" I wrung my hands together, "Because I'm afraid the same thing will happen. Again, with you guys." I muttered.

"No matter how far I run, no matter how I hide, or where, or how hard I fight… they find me. The Volturi will never _ever_ let me go Jasper, never. I can't leave that part of my past behind. They attacked Garrett and I, and he never even knew that I was a member of the Guard." I sniffed, "The fighting shocked him, we were both nearly killed, very nearly. I collapsed after we ran out of there, exhausted. When I woke up… he was gone."

"I'm sorry." Jasper squeezed my hand.

I ducked my head, willing myself to keep telling the story, "I hid in an empty freight train car, just hoping it would take me to America… hoping I could find Carlisle. For some reason, I just sought out your father because he had helped me before. At that point, I could count on one hand the number of people who had helped me. Since I left the Guard. I was walking with a broken leg, Demitri had re-broken it, when I ended up in La Push. It was a total accident, that ironically brought me here." I said solemnly.

"There is nothing I want more in life than to be able to forget." I muttered, "But I can't. And it's made me slow to forgive, to trust… to let go of my anxiety."

"I know how you feel." Jasper mused, "You feel lost, as though all your good at doesn't matter anymore."

"I was raised to be a weapon." I spat out, pulling at my hair with my hands, "What do I do now? I used to feel like I couldn't control my future. Now that I can, I don't know what to do with it."

"Anything." Jasper said, "I faced the same challenge. Don't think to hard about it, let the future take you, you'll know when and what to choose, trust me." He said with a smile as he stood up.

"You had Alice." I grumbled,

"I did…" He smiled over his shoulder at me, "Try opening your eyes, you'd be surprised who's at your side. Just like Alice was for me."

I sat in that room after the door slammed shut for a few seconds.

"Jasper!" I heard Esme scold, "Stop slamming doors!"

"Sorry ma'am." I heard him call back.

Then, everything dropped into silence.

Shaking my head, desperately trying to clear my brain fog, I walked out of the room with my eyes closed, hands on my temples. Thoughts, memories, words, flew around my head like thousands of pelting sand particles. Jasper. He meant for me to let it go… seize the moment, the present…?

"Ayi!" I hit something hard and fell backwards, "Uhh… _asino.._" I grumbled lowly, rubbing my face.

I had walked into a wall. How embarrassing.

"Hey." Two cool arms picked m up. Dylan.

"Thanks." I muttered lamely.

"No problem, keep your eyes open darling, it makes walking easier." He chuckled, ruffling my hair with his hand, he was taller than I, I realized, almost a foot. He started walking away, and I felt a pull at my heart, I noticed how his smile died as he walked away as well. It hurt to see him walking away.

Why?

_Try opening you eyes, you'd be surprised at who's at your side. Just like Alice was for me._

My eyes widened. How _stupid_ was I? I thought, ignoring what's right in front of me. He makes me whole, he heals me, helps me, cares for me and I can't see his love for me?

"Dylan!" I called, and reached forward, catching his shoulder. He spun around instantly and I flew into his arms. He was stiff, surprised, but relaxed almost immediately. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and felt my heart throb in my chest. I need him, I need him, _I need him_.

He can help me, heal me, he has been already.

I felt like crying, realization heavy like a weight, my throat was tight. Was… I ready for this? Could I handle this? There was a difference in seeing love, and believing in it. Feeling it. But one thing I didn't doubt. I didn't think there would be another later on. No one had ever made me feel more comfortable by their side (save for my father, Carlos). No one gave me their time and energy like he did, patiently, expecting nothing.

His arms wrapped around my carefully, I could feel him press the side of his face against my head.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"I'm better." I said, quietly. I _was_. I felt better, less worn and tired. I felt… _alive._ Like some great epiphany had just woken me from a state of stupor.

I looked up into his topaz eyes, his lips pulled into a sweet smile.

"We're not just talking about running into the wall, are we?" He asked, his smile spreading.

"No." I smiled back. "I suppose we're not."

"I'm proud of you. I know… that reliving all that is difficult for you." He said carefully.

I tilted my head slightly, "It was… but it helped. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to." I said weakly. In truth, it hurt less as I was around him.

Dylan smiled briefly, "I'm sorry I pushed you."

"I needed it." I muttered.

He was so close to me, beautiful and strong. Like my own personal angel, protecting and healing me, though he knew that I needed time. But… I need him, and I could feel _that_ stronger than ever before. Was it love? What is… love?

I couldn't imagine my life without him. Is that what Jasper meant?

I blinked, and realized he was much closer than I had originally thought. His eyes were still boring into mine. Alarms went off in my head, automatically.

_To close! To close!_

No… no, no. He's fine… I… I… _trust_ him.

I trust him.

I leaned in hesitantly, without a clue as to what I was doing. I saw his eyes widen a fraction, because he knew and understood what I was trying to do. What I wanted, and what I was ready for.

He closed the mere inches left. My breath stuck in my throat as his cool lips met mine. They were surprisingly soft… for a vampire. This new and alien closeness had all sorts of effects on me. All worries, all anxiety and pain was blown from my mind like shreds of paper in a breeze. I leaned against him, my hands wrapped around his neck loosely. His lips moved against mine gently, slowly, carefully. His hands held me softly, and for a few blissful seconds that felt like eternity, I was flying.

We both pulled back infinitesimally, so that our foreheads were touching, my eyelashes brushed against his cheek.

"Without you I would never have talked to anyone. You make me feel whole again. I understand now… I love you." I sighed happily, resting my head against his shoulder.

"I… _adore_… you." Dylan breathed in my ear, I could feel his lips pull into a wild smile against my cheek. I shivered slightly.

"Thank you…" I managed to choke out, tears… _happy_ tears brimming in my eyes. So much joy, bubbling in my chest. Had I really never felt this before? I'd been missing so much. He rubbed my back in a comforting way.

He smiled and leaned back slightly. "I think I should be thanking you." He said, "It may not seem like it, but you've helped me so much more than I can put into words."

My heart swelled, I'd never helped someone like that before in my life.

I walked with him, his arm loosely around my waist.

"Hey, Dylan could you help me with… oh." Esme blinked rapidly as she saw the both of us. I felt my cheeks heat up. She was feigning surprised, she'd heard the whole thing.

Dylan cleared his throat, "Um… hi Mom." He said awkwardly.

Esme smiled slightly before waving her hand, "Never mind."

Dylan frowned, and relaxed onto the small couch in the living room. I crawled up next to him and relaxed across his shoulder. "What was that about?" I asked.

He chuckled, "Mom knows everything."

_I don't wanna live,_

_To waste another day,_

_Living in the shadows of mistakes I've made,_

_Because I feel like I'm breaking inside._

**Woooooooo! Yeeah! Finally got somewhere. *big happy sigh***

**Blahhhh, school. Yes, my friends, I blame school. I blame AP Lit, and Pre-Calc… and my jerk of a Bio teacher who thinks his students should have no social life.**

**Anyways, I put a some 'happy' at the end of this chapter. No, literally. I bought a bottle of happy and accidently spilled it on the last two pages. :) **

**I really, really, really love all of you who review. Especially Sand n' Sable, I have to say that your reviews were a driving force in helping me write this chapter. So, this chapter is dedicated to you. Yep, first time I've dedicated a chapter. To all my regular reviewers, (I trust you know who you are) I'd really like to hug all of you. If that doesn't freak you out. You guys rock, you're like… like… motivation in written form.**

**Thank you all, please keep reviewing and don't skip your classes because that's how you get your computer taken away!**

**-Zeri**


	27. Chapter 26 How To Live

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 26- How To Live**

**Dylan POV-**

"Favorite… color?"

I watched her red lips twitch in amusement.

"Running out of questions?" She teased. I wish she knew how she was making me feel. My heart felt like it was going to burst. She was so relaxed, so at ease. I could break into song, I was so happy. She was better, happier, if it was because of Jasper's gift I didn't mind. But something… the way she made _me_ feel better, part of me hoped that _I _was helping her as well.

'_You make me feel whole again.'_

Did she know that I could barely speak after that? That my next three words were the most heartfelt and true I'd ever spoken in my long life. I loved her, god I _loved_ her. The look in her eyes before she leaned towards me, to _kiss me, _was… I can't describe it. She realized something when she was talking to Jasper. I don't know how, but she realized that she had feelings for me.

She said 'I love you'. She _loved_ me. She said it! Just the fact that she could let herself trust me, and now that she trusted me enough to love… it absolutely blew my mind. What an amazing girl. What a strong, determined girl. When she was in my arms, it was like I was somewhere else. Like I could plan out my future… but not like I would have ever imagined it. I wondered if she imagined _us_ together, or the future we could have.

Was it so hard to dream? I wondered, watching her brow pucker slightly. Perhaps I was love-struck, stupid even. But I didn't think so. I'd seen my brothers around their wives, seen how they changed when their wives walked into the room. It wasn't exactly the same, because Rebecca wasn't the same, but I knew she was the only one.

"Mmm… yellow." She finally said.

"Really?" I snorted, she whacked my arm.

"Don't laugh." She scolded me and leaned back slightly, laying against the arm of the couch. "It's such a warm sunny color, you know?" She said, dreamily almost, as if she were partially in a trance.

"Okay." I chuckled.

"Alright… favorite place." She said after a pause.

"My old tree-house." I said without a pause. She laughed openly. "Hey! No fair, you get to laugh at me? Back when I was a kid, it was cool to have a tree house."

"Oh yeah?" She challenged.

"Yeah." I smirked. "It was cool, like you had your own little world to rule over." I sighed, "Favorite instrument."

"Violin." She said without hesitation.

"Oh?" I asked curiously.

She nodded, "I used to play all the time, and I liked to believe I was quiet good." She added a confident smile for good measure.

"Well then, you'll have to play sometime." I pushed gently. I wondered what she would play, what her style was, though I was sure it was magnificent. She didn't seem the kind to practice an instrument if she wasn't absolutely fantastic.

Her smile faded a little, "G-… my friend… I mean, Garrett's violin, he uh… bought it for me, it broke." She said quietly. I knew better than to ask who Garrett was.

"That's alright, Edward collected instruments, I'm sure he has one laying around." I added causally. She flushed bright pink.

"Uh… he wouldn't mind if I'd… already… you know… been in there and… played it… a little, would he?" She asked sheepishly.

"Played what?" The front door banged. Emmett, Edward, Bella, and Rosalie walked in, back from a hunt. Bex squirmed momentarily, nervous around them, but relaxed when I held my hand in hers.

"Rebecca plays violin." I remarked. Edward smiled slightly,

"Is that so?" He asked curiously.

Rosalie did a double take when she saw us, and suppressed a small gasp at how Rebecca was curled up into my lap.

"Well… I haven't played I a while…" She said sheepishly.

"Yeah, first time for everything." Emmett encouraged, though I saw his joking wink at me and scowled. His jokes tended to set Rebecca off faster than anything else.

"Speaking of that…" Bella said slowly, "How about a bet, Emmett?"

I watched my brother's face light up like a Christmas tree light, "What kind of bet?"

"Arm wrestling." Bella said.

I laughed quietly. Of course Emmett would accept. He never could resist an arm wrestling match, or wrestling in general. He usually beat _me_, but I doubted he could beat a newborn. I felt Rebecca shaking with poorly suppressed laughter as well. She knew how strong newborns were as well. Ah… I felt a tiny pang of pity for her. Fourteen year-old girls shouldn't have had to worry about fighting newborns…

"Oh. You are _on_ little sis!" Emmett said.

"Twenty on Bella." Rebecca remarked casually.

"Hey!" Emmett scoffed, "Fine, if she wins I'll wrestle you." He scowled, "Scared yet?"

"No." Bex said coolly. I felt my fists tighten at the idea of Emmett wrestling with her, he could hurt her! I resisted the urge to growl at him. I watched her glance at Bella, "Kick his ass."

She stood up and I followed her as she followed Bella.

"You know Bella will win." I muttered.

"Mm…" She nodded absently.

"I don't want you wrestling Emmett." I hissed shortly, protective instinct hijacking my better judgment.

She paused, her eyes lit up angrily like they were on fire, "I can take care of myself." She ground out, the fire cooled slightly, "Besides… I cheat." She smirked confidently. Thin, snaking flames coated her hands for a split second before flicking out. It made me jump a little. Rebecca, whom I would love to think of as someone I need to _protect_… I saw now she was dangerous. Just as I was.

"How do you _do _that…?" I breathed as Emmett and Bella sat down on opposite sides of a rock.

"It's… a sort of sixth sense you could say. The fire burns my energy, all I have to do is sort of will… will it to burn." She shrugged, arms folded across her chest.

"Just like that?" I gaped.

"Just like that." She chuckled at my expression.

"Ready lil' sis?" I heard Emmett ask. Bella looked nervous, but wouldn't back down.

The two of them clamped their hands together, and Bella took a deep breath. For a second, nothing happened, Bella blinked, as if confused. Then, Emmett lost an inch. He growled lowly.

"Now, now, Emmett." Bella laughed, and slammed Emmett's hand to rock, which shattered.

Emmett kicked the dirt angrily and cursed. Rebecca smiled slyly and Bella seemed awestruck.

"Twenty bucks." Rebecca winked at Emmett.

"Yeah, after I beat _you_ at wrestling." He growled bitterly.

"I don't think so." Rebecca smiled thinly.

"Yeah, right. You're part human." He scoffed.

"Yeah. You're a vampire." Rebecca stated. "If I were you I really wouldn't volunteer to wrestle me…" She trailed off, waiting for him to catch on. Which of course, he didn't. Emmett could be rather slow like that. "Flammability, Emmett, think about it."

"What do you… oh." Realization dawned on his face. Rebecca smirked silently.

"Twenty bucks." She repeated. Emmett grumbled unhappily before forking over the money. Rebecca shoved it in her pocket.

"Yeah, yeah, kid. Just be glad we're not _actually_ gonna wrestle." Emmett muttered indignantly under the breath.

Rebecca's eyes narrowed, she folded her arms across her chest, her eyes flashed dangerously. The calmer, soft, healing Rebecca I knew and adored was gone for the moment. She was reserved again. "Remember with whom you are speaking." She snarled, spitting the words from clenched teeth. One thing I had learned, Rebecca did _not_ handle being underestimated well.

Emmett, thankfully, noticed the change and backed off.

Sensitive… she was so sensitive. But she'd been through so much. I can't imagine anyone stronger…

I suppose she was worn, mentally and physically. Whenever she feels threatened, she throws up the old barriers. But it's what's kept her alive. She's been pushed so much, nearly starved, fought through hell and back. All I want is for her life to be easy and worry-free now. Pain free, and surrounded by people who love her, that's what I want for her.

The sun broke through the clouds suddenly. Light hitting my skin, Bella's… Emmett's… was thrown and shimmered. Bella gasped as she took in the effect, and then turned to her daughter who was now watching. Renesmee through a luminescent glow, mysterious and beautiful. I glanced at Rebecca. Curious really, but her golden Mediterranean skin held no extra shimmer, though the sun did seem to radiate off her. Unique compared to the rest of the vampires, though she was wearing jeans and a black coat and very little of her skin showed at all.

Edward and Bella then had some sort of fluffy exchange that had me rolling my eyes.

There was a crinkling noise. Rebecca had her hand in her jacket pocket, her eyes widened a fraction. As if she found something she didn't expect.

Rebecca squeezed her eyes shut. I rubbed her shoulder gently,

"You okay?"

"I'm going for a walk." She said quietly.

What? What… brought this on?

"Alone?" I asked.

"Yeah." She sighed, "Just to the river." She glanced up at me with that look. The one that made it seem like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, where he eyes looked lifeless, but endless. It scared me. What could she be thinking?

**PAGEBREAKSINCEISTILLCAN'TFIGUREOUTHOWTOMAKEONE! …**

**Rebecca POV-**

My heart ached.

My head hurt.

My stomach turned.

So often now, emotional sickness. So unfamiliar… all of these feelings, I thought. Surrounded by a family, all the time. They loved each other, all of them.

I curled my knees tightly against my chest, sitting on the sandy riverbank.

In my hand, I could feel the crumpled piece of paper, now feeling like it weighed hundreds of pounds. How… out of all the things I would find in an old pocket, why was it this? Not now… I couldn't handle it. But in my packet, my fingers had managed to find it as I tucked away Emmett's money. The one thing I truly wouldn't have missed. Perhaps it was a sign, but it terrified me more than most sights I have seen. Speaking of my past to one person was one thing, facing it again was another thing entirely.

I turned the scrunched piece of paper over and over in my hand.

Yes or no?

To read it… or to let it be?

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling tears flowing freely. After all this time…

_Mom…_

Was she even mom anymore? Could I call her that? I doubted she would even know who I was anymore. After all, she _had_ wanted to kill me.

All because of _him!_

Because of him, I grew up without a mother, because of him, I am a monster.

My finger nails dug into my palms. Could I… couldn't I? Would she even want to meet me? I could be an inconvenience in the new life she'd made for herself.

The paper seemed to weigh a thousand tons in my tightly clenched hand.

A pain was steadily building in my chest. For a moment, I was transported back to my childhood, and watched it before me. My father and I, how I loved him… how I missed him. How he raised me without her, how he missed her, how he cried for her. How I visited her grave and talked to her. How it made me feel better…

How I never met my mother…

More tears, angry tears this time, rolled down my cheek. It wasn't fair, none of it. Why did I have to fight my whole life for so little? Why do some people have nothing, and others have nothing? Why do those who have power of lesser creatures so violently rule over them? Perhaps it's fate. Perhaps not. I'm not always strong, nor can I pretend to be. Though I must act untouchable, and distant, for my own safety and sanity, even with Jasper, I edited so much. So much of the actual emotion, the internal debate… I just left it out.

I turned the scrunched up paper over and over in my hand.

Over, over, over… and no closer to a decision.

Would bringing her back into my life be the right decision for either of us? I glowered down at the river balefully. The face of the girl reflected back at me seemed to be changing. Me, at first, scared, and angry, then a younger girl with soft lavender eyes, and then with red eyes and pale pink lips, a soft smile.

Ugh, how I hate it when I get into these moods. Like a depressed spiral that I can't pull out of.

I forced myself to look at the worn and yellowed paper.

Unfold it, I thought to myself, I can do this. I can face this.

Again.

Slowly, my fingers trembled as my determination solidified, I began to unfold the ancient note.

_Ms. Fionna Medachi (Mrs. Medachi when human)_

I took a deep, wavering breath.

_Species: Vampire- Age when changed: 23_

_Sire- William Jennings_

_Traits- Black hair, Five foot and three inches of height, freckles on cheeks, no super-natural gifts_

_Origin- Native of England, married and lived in Italy_

_Current Location (As of October)- Edmonton region of Albuquerque, Canada _

_Coven- Includes the nomads Clarisse and Elizabeth_

My heart pounded in my chest. She… she was still alive then. As far as I knew. When I left the archives, she was still alive. She had friends, a coven, and lived forever as a beautiful twenty-three year old young woman.

My eyes froze on the last sentence.

_Contact- Landline, residence named to Clarisse Kingsley._

No… no… no… I can't…

_343-666-0043_

Oh… oh my… I practically jumped out of my skin.

I didn't care anymore, anticipation, fear doubt. It was all gone from my mind like morning mist blow away by wind and sun. I had one goal. My legs couldn't carry me fast enough. The trees, the ground, were blurred beneath my feet. My heart was racing, faster, faster, I had never run so fast in my entire life, had I?

By the time I the clearing, the green front lawn, and the picturesque mansion were in sight, I was beyond out of breath, but simply kept running. It was like there explosions going on in my mind, their sounds completely tuned out my mind relaying my body's screams for more oxygen, for a slower pace, for a rest, for water.

A window was open, which I easily leapt through, into the very crowded living room.

"Re-" Someone, I don't know who, started, concern laced in their voice.

"Sh!" I silenced them and bolted out of the room. Phone? Phone. Phone! Phone… phone… _where?_

Kitchen!

I darted through the house in a split second. There was several voices yelling behind me. I skidded to a sudden stop, seeing the small black house phone sitting on the counter. The voices buzzed in the back of my mind, but I wasn't hearing them at all. My hand fumbled with the folded paper. Number, what was the number.

343-66-0043!

My fingers flew over the buttons, each making a beeping noise I barely heard.

I became aware that I was clinging tightly to my mother's rosary, which I never removed from my neck. The voices behind me became insistent. I sat down on the floor, nervously rocking back and forth. Someone placed a hand on my shoulder, which I shoved away and held up the paper. It was the explanation, for I was in no state to give one.

It rang once.

I rocked back and forth again, closing my eyes, murmuring prayers to myself in Italian. Please, please. I want to hear my mother's voice again. Please. I want my mother, I want to meet her. I want my mother.

Another ring, and still no answer.

Oh god, please… please, please let this be the right number. Please let them not have moved. Please, please, please _just answer the phone._

"_Hallo?_" A crisp, peppy female voice asked, slightly accented with a variation of a French tone, French-Canadian. Not my mother. But that didn't stop my sharp intake of breath at just the single word from the musical voice. It was conformation. Conformation that a _vampire_ answered the phone, that this was the coven my mother was a part of.

"_Hello…?"_

I shook my head rapidly, "Uh… um… _s-saluto…_" I finally managed.

"_Who is this?"_ The voice became slightly sharp, irritated, impatient.

"My… my name is Rebecca Medachi." I rasped out finally, and squeezed my eyes closed tightly, crossing the fingers that already clenched a rosary.

"… _oh… OH!"_ The voice exclaimed, _"I'm Clarisse, are… are you… the girl? Her daughter?"_

"Yes." I whispered. "Is she there? Please, can I talk to her?" I begged quietly, feeling tears, again, spilling down my face.

"_Yes, yes child, Fiona! Fiona! Viens ici!_"Clarisse Kingsley called.

I waited, for what seemed like eternity.

"_Rebecca…?_" A honey like voice asked tentatively. I choked back a sob.

"Mamma?" I breathed.

"_Oh! Mio cara!" _She exclaimed, her voice sweet and caring, _"Rebecca, ti amo con tutto il cuore!"_ She wept into the phone, "Oh I've missed you so much, my baby!"

"I… I missed you to m-m… mom." I stammered, shaking uncontrollably.

"_Oh darling, I don't even know where to start. I'm so, so sorry… for everything."_ She said sadly, I could picture her face, how I wanted her to be here now.

"It's okay mom, I understand."

"_No… Rebecca, you're my _daughter_ and I wasn't even there for your life! I feel so terrible. I really wanted what was best for you but I just wasn't in control, and then the next time I saw you… you were practically a Volturi zombie…"_ She trailed off guiltily.

"It wasn't your fault." I sighed.

"_Still…"_

"Uhm… mum… can you… visit, I mean… would you like to… or can I…" I stumbled with the words and struggled to think clearly. Do I have to choose? Between the Cullens and my real family? Certainly not.

"_Of course, where are you?"_

I smiled to myself slightly, "I'm in Forks, outside of Seattle."

"_How on earth did you get there?"_

"It's a long and complicated story…" I trailed off.

"_I'm sorry. For not being there."_

To that I had no response. What could I say?

"_I'll see you soon."_

"I love you mom."

The phone clicked.

"Rebecca?" Dylan asked, his hand on my shoulder.

I was so, so happy. I could barely contain it. I could see my mom, for _real_.

"Oh, Dylan! I'm so excited!" I managed through happy tears. He smiled back at me.

"That's wonderful." He hugged me, "Hope your mom likes me."

"She will." I said confidently, "You're a real charmer."

"Oh, am I?" He challenged playfully. I shook my head with a smile. What a silly boy.

"Aww, you two almost sound like a couple- whoa!" Emmett started saying before Dylan smirked at him then turned and kissed me full on the lips. I melted into his arms, and cupped the side of his face with one hand. His hand was on my back, pressing my closer to him. His lips were firm, cool, and insistent, though soft and comforting.

And for a while, there was no one else in the room. His lips moving against mine was hypnotizing, I twined one hand in his hair and stood up on my tip toes to get a better angle.

… and then I remembered everyone else was _also _in the room.

I pulled back, eyes wide, and felt my cheeks heat up instantly as I was met with six pairs of eyes. Embarrassed was an understatement. Emmett whistled.

"Well, that's kinda new." He exclaimed.

I blushed furiously, and Dylan smirked slightly, it almost seemed guilty.

"Aww… you guys are cute." Alice commented.

"About time." I saw Rose smirking slightly.

It may seem odd… but kissing him made me feel better.

**Soooo… can you guys tell I'm in a good mood? Yeppers. Mother's coming back, things are looking up! Sigh…**

**Haha… so, funniest review of the week goes to Dizzy Miss Lizzy, for this comical input:**

_**YES! *jumps around room being happy* Rebecca and Dylan sitting on a log, they fell off and had a snog!**_

_**Rebecca: *deathglare***_

_**Me: *shrinks down* hi.**_

**Thanks, that was really day-making funny! Plus, I've never heard anyone call Garrett Gare-bear before… **

**Please review!**


	28. Chapter 27 Meeting

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 27- Meeting**

**Rebecca:**

The sun was slowly breaking through my window. I felt Dylan's strong arms encasing me as I slept.

"Good morning beautiful." His breath tickled my neck. How such simple words made such a big impact… I'll never understand.

I sighed happily and rolled over so I was facing him. I smiled absently into his shoulder and breathed in his scent.

"Hmm… you're like a happy drug or something, you know that?" I asked through a yawn.

"Well Ms. Medachi, I can tell you that you do seem much more _alive_ these last few days. However, as with most drugs there are side-effects." He smirked mischievously.

"Oh?" I teased.

"Well… to start with…" He kissed my neck gently, my heart sped up in response, "Shortness of breath," his lips moved up to my jaw, "lapses in memory and judgment, perhaps some trouble sleeping…"

"Only because you're here with me!" I chuckled, jokingly shoving at his shoulder.

"Ah, but mademoiselle, you never sent me away!" He exclaimed innocently.

"Of course not." I feigned hurt, "How could I… when your entire family seems to think we're a couple."

"Aren't we?" He asked curiously, I sat up a little bit, the sheets tangled around my legs.

"Oh, I suppose…" I said slowly, shrugging my shoulders. Baiting him really, he just exuded this contagious happiness. I couldn't help but feel exuberant and playful in his presence. "I mean, I don't really know what this 'relationship' would entail…" I trailed off, looking to the side. Finally, I burst out laughing and met his worried eyes.

"Not funny." He growled.

I giggled like a hopelessly love-struck teenager, yet it didn't seem to bother me that much.

He leaned closer and I gripped his plain tee shirt with my hands, effectively pulling us both over, until we both lay on our sides. "We make an odd couple." I observed.

"Ah-ha!" Dylan barked, "You admit to it!"

"Oh drat, you've figured me out." I snickered, ruffling his hair as he often did to mine.

"Suppose I have." He teased back, and licked my ear playfully.

"Alright then Mr. Cullen, suppose you have figured me out. What do you think we should do today?" I asked pensively.

"I think…" He tilted his head to one side, "You should introduce me to your mom."

I slapped my forehead, "How could if forget!"

"Tends to happen when you haven't slept in several days." Dylan teased me again.

"You would know." I grumbled, rolling out of bed. I yawned and stretched a little as I walked over to the closet, rifling through the layers of clothing before picking out a faded red tee shirt and a pair of old jeans. I glanced over at Dylan who sat on my bed, watching me absently.

"Okay, out." I said, raising my eyebrow at him.

"Why?" He protested, tilting his head slightly to one side.

"I have to put on something nice… ish, to wear when my mom gets here, so out." I said firmly. He scowled like a little boy and slumped off my bed until he was standing in front of me.

"Fine." He said, feigning heartbreak with a dramatic hand across his forehead, "I'll leave if you truly want me to."

"Shush, you just have a dirty mind." I scolded, and all but shoved him out the door.

"No! It pains me to leave your side, madam!" He called with a British accent.

I heard him then dramatically sign and begin to recite Shakespeare before breaking down into snickers of hysteria. Very classy. What a goof, I thought absently, as I pulled on my new, soft shirt, what an absolute comedian and happy-go-lucky fool.

Ah, but a loveable fool he was. Perhaps that made me the happy fool who loved _him_ as well. I shook my head at the lunacy of it all. Here, I was in a foreign country, with a new family, and a boy who could drive away all the unhappiness like fog parted by a lighthouse. Ha! My lighthouse, how oddly un-romantic that metaphor was. I chuckled at my own small joke.

I scratched my head as I held the outfit up in mirror. The light red shirt was a modest yet feminine collar. Gotta look good from mom… right? Or is that trying too much? I sighed again and rolled my eyes. I quickly threw on the shirt then frowned into the mirror for several seconds before deciding I really didn't care how I looked. I wasn't covered in dirt or dried blood, so in my opinion it was an improvement.

I glanced at my clock as my stomach growled. Realizing I was running _behind_ schedule, I flew down the stairs towards the kitchen. I rifled through the fridge before settling on an orange and then threw a pot of water onto the stove top for some tea. After my haste, I leaned back against the counter and yawned heavily. Lazily, I peeled the orange and discarded the curving outer layer into the trash bin.

Surprisingly, I wasn't startled when Emmett 'appeared' in front of me wearing a broad smirk. However, the smirk he was wearing did make me a bit weary. He was silent, so I poured the almost boiling water into a glass and mixed in the tea leaves.

"What?" I finally asked.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh… I was just… wondering." He began.

I narrowed my eyes, "About what?"

"Well, you see, there are certain patterns of behavior…" He started off, "See it's starts off with being friendly, and hugging. But you have to be careful because there are certain precautions you have to take when you're in a physical relationship with-"

"_EMMETT!"_ I all but shrieked, feeling my face flame, "It's not like that!"

"Oh, it's not?" He asked in a theatrical voice.

"Emmett Cullen, you will _not_ embarrass me in front of my mother today." I snapped shortly.

"Yeah, that's cool. But when you say it's not like _that_, then exactly what is _it like?_" He pressed on.

"_It_ is none of your business." I hissed, my lip curled involuntarily over my teeth.

"Lay off, Emmett." Dylan placed a controlling hand on his brothers shoulder, "Stop trying to push her buttons."

"Just having a little fun." He grumbled like a child.

"Go have fun at someone else's expense." I sniffed impatiently, before taking a sip of my tea. Emmett scowled and turned to leave but not before muttering over his shoulder,

"Dylan and Becca sittin' in a tree, F-U-C-"

"_ANDARE AL INFERNO, asino!"_ I cursed loudly, cutting him off. My hands shook slightly, nearly crushing the glass in my hand before Dylan attempted to soothe me.

"Relax, he finds humor in messing around with all of us. He'll run out of material eventually, he ran out of jokes about me after about two years." He laughed with a charming smile.

I grumbled a few choice words under my breath and squeezed my eyes shut. Dylan sighed and rubbed my shoulders gently. I tilted my head to one side and let my muscles un-tighten. After blowing a long breath out my nose, I opened my eyes again.

"Relaxed?" Dylan whispered in my ear.

"Better." I admitted.

"Yeah, I give great massages." He gloated with a smile.

"Oh? And who were you giving massages?" I scowled, somehow the thought of him giving other girls a massage left a sour taste in my mouth. He was _mine_.

"Ehhh…" He spluttered, "No one really." If he were human, he would be bright red. I laughed softly at his embarrassment.

There was a quiet knock at the door at that moment. My hands nearly dropped my cup of tea had Dylan not caught it. My heart rate shot through the roof in a split second and I could feel the blood drain from my face.

"_Oh dio mio, oh dio mio…_" I squeaked, trembling in place.

"Go, go get the door." Dylan urged me. Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, Edward and Bella were all down the stairs in the next second. I blinked in surprise,

"What are you doing?" I asked nervously.

"Aw, c'mon kiddo, you don't think we'd miss this, do you?" Emmett joked. My heart swelled, maybe the Cullens really were like family to me. I'd never actually had a brother of a sister, but Emmett and Rosalie seemed pretty close. I beamed at Emmett and all but ran for the door.

And she was there.

Fionna Medachi. Five foot three, with glossy shoulder length black hair and scattered freckles on her cheeks. She was just as young and lively as I remembered her, slender and strikingly beautiful, with an angular face that was edgy yet feminine. My father, Carlos, had often said my face looked so much like hers, and now I began to see what he meant. Her eyes were a dulled crimson, with several sparkling shapes of onyx thrown throughout, she'd probably hunted about a week ago. Which meant she'd learned control since I last saw her.

I had planned out a great, composed re-introduction with my mother. But what came out instead was,

"Mom!" As I flung my arms around her torso.

She didn't even hesitate, but hugged me back immediately.

"Rebecca." She breathed, embracing me tightly.

I started crying.

Inhaling her scent, just trying to hold onto her.

\\\/\\\\/\\\\\/\\\\\\/\\\\\\/\**Several Hours Later**/\\\\\\/\\\\\\/\\\\\/\\\\\/

"So, how did you end up in Edmonton?" Dylan asked causally, sitting next to me, as he had been most of the night as questions were tossed back and forth.

My mother smiled slightly, "It's a long story." She said with a pointed look at me.

"You first." I insisted.

"But I want to hear all about your adventures!" She beamed at me enthusiastically.

"I'll tell you, I just want to hear about what happened after Volterra." I said sincerely.

She grimaced, "I can't apologize enough for that. It was most certainly not my finest hour."

"It's fine, really."

She sighed and ran her hand through her obsidian colored hair. "Well… I was told that it would be wise to get very far from Italy very fast after my visit." She sighed, her eyes slightly wider as she blinked, probably remembering the hostility of the Guard. "So, I began traveling around Russia, until I met my friend Clarisse. She and Elizabeth are practically like family to me, sisters. They helped me out, and we moved from country, to country, all over Africa, Asia and Europe…" She paused, "But I was always an anchored kind of person in my human life. I liked to live in one place. So Elizabeth set out looking for a tiny town, a secluded estate or anything separated from humanity where we could live comfortably."

I smiled softly, imagining my mom hanging around the old house in Valle Celeste, cooking, smiling, welcoming my father home with a hug.

"Whatca' thinking about?" Dylan asked almost silently in my ear.

"Home." I muttered back. I didn't miss how my mother's eyes tightened slightly at our exchange. I felt my own eyes tighten in response. Did she not like him? The thought of her advising me on what was in my best interests after not being a part of my life for more than sixteen years did spark some anger.

"I don't believe I've formally introduced you two." I said levelly, shifting forward slightly on the couch so that my knees rested on my elbows. The Cullens sat up a little straighter, familiar with the small change in my demeanor, and recognizing that it meant a large change in attitude. "Dylan," My eyes never once left Fionna's, "This is my birth mother, Fionna Medachi. Fionna, this is Dylan, _mio ragazzo_." My accent was thick, and pointedly drew out the word 'ragazzo'. **(HINT: Look up what ragazzo means… you'll understand it better!)**

My mother's eyes flashed, "_Ragazzo? Cosa vuoi dire?_" She growled shortly, with a unique blend of English and Italian accents blending in her voice as she demanded. Demanding to know what I meant. I remembered my father telling me how sometimes my mother was incredibly fierce and protective. But I didn't need her protection.

"You know what I mean." I said simply, as calmly as I could, "Don't act so worried. What you know… it's limited. I've changed mom."

She deflated visibly, "_Ci si puó fidare?"_ She asked quietly, asking if I trusted him, if he deserved to be trusted.

"_Che t'importa?"_ I snapped impatiently. Did it matter to her? She scowled at me. I relented and answered, "_Completamente._" I said with all seriousness. My mother groaned in exasperation.

"_Un ragazzo! Sei sedici!"_ She protested like any mother would when she found her only daughter had a lover that she didn't know about. Lover wasn't the right word, perhaps, we weren't there. I trusted him, and in many ways loved him, but part of me was still nervous.

"_Blasta._" I cut her off, "You know I can take of myself. Or, you should by this point."

She ground her teeth with a frustrated look. "This isn't quiet what I was hoping to discuss with you." She managed.

I leaned back, "Then why did you make such a big deal of it?"

"I'm your mother… the idea of my little girl… Can't a mother worry for her daughter?"She asked me, exactly what I didn't want to hear.

"I don't need you deciding what's best for me. I think I've figured that out myself." I muttered glowered at the ground.

An uncomfortable silence took over the room. This wasn't going as well as I would have hoped. It was like we were one two different levels, what I expected her to be like, what she expected me to be like. Then again, how well did I know her? My own mother and I barely knew anything about her, this was my first face-to-face conversation with her in my entire life.

"Indeed." She finally muttered, "I don't know much about you at all. Perhaps you could tell me…?"

A truce. For now. I could tell she still wasn't pleased with me though.

I rubbed my temples, "It's not easy listening, and I'm not good at editing mom." I warned her.

"I just want to know about my daughter's life." She said softly.

And so I told her. With everyone there. I don't know where the courage for that came from, but somehow it didn't matter anymore. Past is past, I chanted over and over in my head. Past, in the past. It went smoothly, for the most part, with Dylan growling at various parts of my story. I avoided looking at the faces of the Cullens as much as I could, mostly out of fear. Unsure of how my story would be received, I mostly stared out the window as I told my story.

"Garrett left?" Mom asked softly, trying to comfort me.

I sighed, "He was terrified, scared of the implications of traveling with me."

"W-why?" She sputtered.

"If the Volturi had a 'most wanted' list, I would be number one. According to Aro, I'm too dangerous and unstable to be left alone and in any other hands than his. The threat of death for Garrett by associating with my was huge. He was terrified."

"So you traveled alone the rest of the way?" My mother was angry, at Garrett.

"It wasn't far." I shrugged.

"Yeah, but you did get attacked by mutant wolves." Emmett pointed out.

"Well… there's that." I nodded.

"I'm sorry." My mom repeated for the hundredth time.

"It's really not your fault." I said for the ninety-ninth time.

"I feel awful. Like a failure as a mother." She muttered miserably.

"Mom," I said softly, "There was absolutely nothing you could have done. Will would have killed you."

She sighed. "I suppose I'll never make up for it… and you seem to have found a family of your own," I opened my mouth to tell her I still loved her no matter what, "no, really, it's fine. This is probably better for you anyway."

"So you're not staying." I observed.

"No." She smiled sadly, "I'm not. Knowing you're alive has brought me more happiness than you know. But it won't be good for you if I stay around. You need time." She stood up, "Oh, and… call me sometime. I missed you Rebecca, I really did."

I felt rogue tears well in my eyes as I ran over and hugged her. "Bye mom." I murmured into her shoulder.

"I love you Rebecca." She sighed.

"I love you too, mom." I whispered, my throat feeling dry.

She smiled once more at me, all kinds of emotions reflected in her eyes before turning and out the door she went. Part of me wondered when I'd see her again. I chewed my lip nervously, sensing several vampires waiting anxiously behind me.

Dylan, ever my savior, wrapped his arms carefully around my waist. I relaxed immediately at his touch, "You okay?" He asked, his voice comforting, smooth and musical as it always was. With a touch of a soft European accent, as his parents were French Canadian. His was a deep yet soothing tone, a slight softness on the vowels that reminded me of home a little. I loved his voice.

I nodded, turning to bury my face in his shoulder, my nose just brushed the base of his neck. He rested his head on mine and just held me, which was just what I needed. I sighed after a few seconds and he released me, so I could glance tentatively at the family still seated on the other side of the room.

Jasper gazed back at me calmly, and then nodded once in approval.

Rose looked sad, "Is all of that really… true?" She asked.

I nodded with pursed lips.

"Oh." Was all she said.

"But it doesn't really matter." I said firmly, "None of what happened matters anymore because it's not important. I have a chance to start over and I'm doing just that."

I saw Carlisle smile slightly, "I'm glad you've chosen to stay with us."

I smiled faintly back.

"I'm not game for twenty questions, but seeing as you all answered my questions… I'll be polite." I said when Emmett raised his hand like an elementary student.

"How come you can't just make your own fire? You know, like, not have it come from you. Just create it without having it come from your hands. Just appear." He asked, trying to phrase his thoughts as best he could.

I frowned slightly, "That would be like taking some of my energy and physically pulling it out of my body before it could turn into fire. Which is extremely difficult. The only thing I can do without touching is lighting candles. Because they have wax as fuel, it uses very little energy."

Rosalie asked a question next, "What about your father?"

I was puzzled for a second, then frowned, "Which one?" I asked bitterly. "Carlos of William?"

"Carlos… what happened to him?" Rose asked curiously.

My throat tightened, "I don't know." I admitted, feeling terrible about it. Yes, I'd found my mother, and she was alive, and we 'caught up' and it was great… but I _loved_ my father more than anything else. I didn't even know if he was alive.

"Do you want to find him?" She asked, glancing at Jasper.

"Of course…" I said skeptically, "Why?"

"Well, we know this guy… he forges legal documents, and he's really good with finding people. Even if they don't want to be found. Really, he is pretty amazing for a human." She said seriously.

"Really, he could find my dad?" I asked excitedly. Dylan tossed Jasper a cell phone. Jasper's hands flew across the keyboard.

"Mr. Jenks…" Jasper drawled warmly into the phone.

"Name, age, country of origin and basic description." Rosalie rattled off.

"Ah… Carlos Santiago Medachi, he's just about forty, native of Italy, Valle Celeste, and um… he has dark brown hair and green eyes, about six foot three, thick Italian accent, and has a golden chain with a cross that he always, _always_ has around his neck…" I said quickly, which Jasper relayed into the phone.

"Thank you Mr. Jenks, don't hesitate to call when you find something." Jasper smiled slightly.

"Oh… my…" I stammered, this was more than I ever hope for. No offense to mom, but the thought of seeing my father's face again made my heart swell.

"Happy?" Dylan asked with a brilliant smile.

I smiled back, practically bursting out of my skin in joy. "What do you think?" I asked, leaning comfortably into his chest. He chuckled and kissed your forehead.

"You think your dad will like me better than your mom did?" He teased.

I growled softly, "He'll like you."

**The end.**

**Of the chapter! Haha… scared ya? Anywho, sorry for lateness… soccer games all week put me behind in homework. Yeah, I hate school. :/**

**I hope you liked the fluff… or my attempt at it. Please review!**

**-Zeri**


	29. Chapter 28 Gone

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 28- Gone**

**Rebecca POV:**

I stayed up for forty eight hours straight, mostly pacing, staring at Jasper's cell-phone, and snarling/cursing in Italian and anyone who told me to do something else. My nerves were frayed, and I admit I was hyper-focusing.

"Rebec-"

"_ZITTO!"_ I snapped angrily at Emmett as he tried to remove me from the couch. I slammed my knee into his stomach and brought my elbow down on his head. He was flat on the floor in less than one hundredth of a second. "Emmett McCarthy Cullen," I snarled, "You have _no idea_ how important this is to me. This is my _father _we are talking about. I have had _every. single._ part of my childhood taken away from me and I will be DAMNED if I don't get to be the first one to talk to my father!" I all but screamed at him.

"Bex, you need to sleep." Emmett said sternly.

"Dylan told you to talk to me." I scowled, Dylan was on extended, two day long hunting trip.

"He did." Emmett admitted.

"Go. Away." I hissed out. With Dylan gone, he was supposed to get back soon though, I was much more irritable. I felt a little bit more like my old self, which set me on edge.

"Rebecca, be logical, you _need_ sleep." Rosalie urged me.

I hissed at her.

I sat there, silently, alone after kicking the two of them out, wringing my hands.

The phone rang, I snatched it immediately.

"Mr. Jenks." I said curtly,

"Who's this?" The man asked skeptically.

"Rebecca Medachi." I said. There was a long pause.

"52 Highland Street, Northmond… Wyoming." He said slowly.

"He-… He's in America?" I gasped in joy.

Jay Jenks muttered something like 'sorry'. Then he hung up. I jumped to my feet. "ROSE!" I yelled, unnecessarily.

She snapped to my side, as I hyperventilated. "What?"

"52 Highland street, Northmond in Wyoming!" I repeated happily.

Her eyes widened slightly, "Oh, Rebecca! That's great."

"Need you to drive!" I said rapidly, "I don't have my license."

"On it." She said happily, "Emmett, if Edward and Bella ever get their asse4s out of the cottage tell them I'm taking Rebecca on a road trip!"

I was practically buzzing as I got into Rosalie's BMW. She peeled out of the driveway at eighty miles per hour and hit one-twenty before we even got to the highway. My heart was beating as fast as the car was moving.

The next few hours were agonizing.

As soon as we were in Wyoming, I all but threw myself out of the car.

"What are you doing?" Rose demanded.

"I can run faster than this." I explained rapidly. "It's night time, no one will see me."

I sprinted down the streets, faster, faster. Town after town blurred by me. It was odd to run without Savel strapped to my back, but now my mind was dead set on finding my father. I could smell a lingering smell, of old burning candles and deep earth.

Dad!

I ran faster, zipping down the streets, passing a sign that said Northmond. Then, turning onto Highland Street I felt like my heart was going to explode.

The numbers went up, I was losing my mind.

50, 51… fifty… two?

I stopped at two huge iron gates. The air was thick with mist, a stone wall with steel bars coated in rust greeted me. Beyond the wall was a huge field, lumpy, but a field, covered in thick grey fog so I could barely see it. The gate creaked as I pushed it open. It reeked of decaying earth in the field. Why would my father live here?

I slowed to a walk, searching around, squinting to see through the mist. My shoe clanked against something metal, I bent down to pick it up. The object was cold in my hands, metal. The rusted bronze lantern was only slightly reflective in the moonlight. I carefully pulled it open, my finger just brushed the wick so a tiny flame leapt into place. But it was slow burning, sleepy, in some kind of trance. Like everything else in this place. I shivered involuntarily.

The lamp threw very little light. Around me, in a five foot circle, the mist dissolved in my light. The grass beneath me was all dead, a single damp cracked stone path led up a hill in the distance. I walked around, sweeping the lamp back and forth, until I nearly ran into a large dark object.

Horror bubbled in my stomach as the realization set in.

I stumbled back, collapsing to my knees. My head shook back and forth, unwilling to believe, me entire body trembled with shock.

I stared at the slab of stone in front of me, unable to move. It was a head stone.

I was in a graveyard.

_My father was dead._

**Rose-**

Rebecca had been transfixed on finding her father since we mentioned the possibility. Something told me she had been so much closer to her than her mother. After all, it had been her father who raised her.

But the look on her face as we dashed towards my car was of pure joy. She was silent most of the way, her eyes in some faraway place. I imagined that she was reliving some of her childhood. She was anxious. As soon as we were in Wyoming, Rebecca insisted on running to Northmond, she all but flew out of the car and sprinted down the street.

I decided it was best to keep driving.

While I drove down the dark streets, I thought about my own father. He had been a very serious, business-like man. Social and economic status had been incredibly important to him, no matter the depression. It was one of his main goals to find me a good, wealthy man for me to marry. Sadly, his intentions, his opinions… ended up being my demise.

As I drove into Northmond, I followed Rebecca's scent.

I slowed to a stop in front of two huge iron gates. The entire stretching field smelled like death.

Cemetery. I recognized immediately, and felt a hard pang of pity for Rebecca. I heard a long piercing, pained howl and ran into the cemetery. It took me almost a minute of searching to find her in the thick fog. When I did, what I saw made my heart clench up.

She was curled up on the ground, laying on a long flat rock. Tears streaked her face, her eyes were closed. An old lantern was shattered next to her. She trembled, her lips forming faint words,

"É andato… é andato… é andato…" She repeated over and over, her eyes staring at nothing.

"Rebecca, Rebecca?" I kneeled down next to her, "Rebecca, c'mon, can you hear me? Can you squeeze my hand?" I grasped her hand in mind, finding it alarmingly cold for her usual temperature.

"_Andato_… _mia detto arrivederci…"_ She whimpered, squeezing my hand faintly.

"Bex, it's cold out here, we have to get back home." I urged her gently.

"No, I'm not leaving!" She wailed, throwing her hands out to the corners of the stone and sobbing hard. I could just make out the words on the grave.

"He's not gone!" She shouted at me, trying to shove me away, "He's not gone, not gone! Not de-" Her voice cracked and faded.

_Carlos Medachi-_

_**Loving father and Husband.**_

The date of his death was covered by Rebecca as she cried. "Do you want me to call Dylan? Carlisle?" I offered.

She shook her head, "I want to be alone."

"Bex, you can't stay here."

"Go away." She whispered.

I knew this was getting nowhere. Sighing, I leaned down and picked her up. I was already braced for her flailing and resistance, and of course it came.

"No!" She shrieked, kicking out, "Leave me alone, I want to stay here, I want to stay!" She wailed.

I grunted as she tried to pound me, trying to get away. In the end, I successfully carried her, screaming and wailing, out of the graveyard. As soon as I placed her in the car, she became completely silent and still. She stared at her hands, twisted in her lap, the whole ride home. It was significantly longer than the drive there, as I wasn't speeding.

When we finally did arrive back home… she didn't move at all to get out of the car.

"Rebecca, I'm going to go get Dylan, okay?" I spoke softly. She didn't respond. Slipping out of the car, I ran into the house where Jasper and Dylan were bickering.

"Rose." Dylan greeted me with a smile, the boy was my favorite younger brother. Then he frowned, "What did you find?"

"Dylan, Rebecca's… a mess." I said nervously, "We found her father all right, her father's _grave_."

"Oh no." Dylan breathed and darted back out the door. Jasper and I followed him, I noticed Jasper was accidently throwing anxiety off him, radiating it. Making me more nervous.

"Becca?" Dylan asked quietly, pulling her out of the car and setting her on her feet. She stared at the ground, barely whispering the same word over and over.

"_Andato, andato… é andato…"_ She muttered rapidly.

"Becca, can you look at me, please? Becca!" The panic was clear in my brother's voice. He tried to tilt her head towards him, holding her chin. She pulled away and squeezed her eyes shut. Her hands clapped over her ears and she ducked her head. Her knees wobbled.

"She's in shock." I murmured.

"Well of course she's shocked!" Dylan hissed, "Her father is-"

Rebecca cut him off with a wail.

"No, medical shock. Her body can't handle what her mind is going through." I said gently.

Dylan blinked, "Can it be fixed?"

"Fixed?" I spit, "Really? This isn't some simple break, this is bad! Trauma, PTSD kind of bad!" I snarled., "We all heard her story, and god knows how much she left out! So 'fixing' her is out of the question! You can _help_ her! But you don't fix people Dylan, you fix cars."

He flinched at my outburst.

I sighed heavily, "Take good care of her." I muttered, seeing Rebecca shake and tremble in his arms. "Come on, let's go inside." I motioned for the door.

Dylan carried Rebecca inside, after he couldn't get her to walk a single step. He carried her up to her room, she looked like a rag doll. My heartfelt heavy in my chest.

She was my little sister. The little sister I never had.

~*~*~*~*~*~***Squigly Page Break! Please teach me how to make page breaks!*~*~*~*~***

**Dylan-**

"Rebecca, please just say something." I begged of her. She didn't respond, sitting on the bed with her hands in her lap, looking at the ground. I took her warm hands in mine, turning my face to try to make her meet my eyes.

She trembled again, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Bex?" I asked, feeling nervous and basically useless as I saw a tear slide down her cheek.

She threw her arms around me and nearly knocked me over. I was surprised to say the least, and stiffened when she hugged me, bawling her eyes out into my shoulder. After a second, I relaxed and wrapped my arms around her tightly, letting her bury her face into my chest.

"It's okay," I tried to soothe her, rubbing her back, "It will be okay, I promise." I murmured.

"He's gone…" She sniffed, "I never got to see him again."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"I miss him so much." She whimpered, her voice seemed tiny. I heard a tiny whine, and saw her wolf pup pacing behind her.

"I'm sure he missed you to, that he loved you, that he still does. I'm sure that he wants you to keep living your life, too. He'd want you to move on." I said gently.

She nodded miserably against my shoulder.

"I never saw him again." She whispered, "I was everything to him, and I never even…" She choked on that particular sentence.

"Hey, hey…" I stopped her, "Don't go blaming yourself. It's not your fault."

"I could've protected him." Her face was buried in my chest, so I stroked her long black hair.

"Rebecca, you barely made it here alive, there's no way you could have done anything for your father. For all we know, he could have died from cancer." I said, my fingers sliding through her silky hair. I could feel her breath shuddering in her chest, and hear her heart fluttering like a bird.

She was silent, but curled up against me tightly.

"I miss him." She said, sounding completely broken and shattered. It physically _hurt_ me to hear her voice like that. I hugged her tightly against me,

"I'm sorry." Was all I could offer. "I know it's awful to lose your parents." To which she nodded weakly into my shoulder.

"Knock, knock." Rose's voice was soft, she leaned against the doorway. "I brought you some tea."

Rebecca was silent. She stared at the ground again, like she was right back to where we started. I nudged her gently,

"Do you want some tea, Bex?" I asked quietly.

"It's red rose." She said almost silently, "That was… his favorite."

"Oh." Rose muttered. "Well… if you don't want it…"

"It's okay." Bex said, "I- I'm thirsty." She finally managed, but without meeting Rose's eyes. Rose sighed and left.

She drank it slowly, and then wrapped her arms around her stomach, dropping her chin to her chest. "Do you…" She started, "Do you think he'd be disappointed?" She asked me quietly.

"What? No, no of course not." I reassured her, "How could he be? You're beautiful, strong, independent, smart and despite everything you've been through, you always want to do the right thing. I'm sure if he could see you now he'd be very proud to call you his daughter."

She sighed and relaxed slightly. Her eyes fluttered once, I noticed the long dark bags under them.

"You should sleep." I suggested.

"I'll have nightmares." She whispered, there was real fear in her voice.

"No you won't, not if I chase them away." I smiled at her. She sighed heavily and all but melted into my arms. I carefully picked her up and placed her back on the bed, then lay next to her, with my arm around her.

"I'm scared." She whispered after a minute ticked by.

"Why?" I asked.

"My father's dead because he's human." She murmured, "I'm part human, but I live in the vampire world… Humans in that world die. Bella nearly died, and she didn't have the line of people trying to kill her that I do. Dylan… what if I die?" She asked me.

"You're not going to die." I nearly growled, "I'll kill anyone who tries to touch you."

She snuggled closer to me, "I love you." She sighed, through a sleep-thickened voice.

I was shocked silent and by the time I had recovered enough to respond, she was already asleep in my arms.

**Third POV-**

That was the first night of healing for Rebecca. It was the start of letting go, the start of moving on. But no one ever said she was moving forward to a perfect future. Often, when one looks at a person, the outer wear and tear doesn't reflect the gravity of the emotional scaring. Her discovery provided closure, she no longer wondered about her father. Instead, she was now figuring out how to deal with the feeling of loss. What she used to cope was instead was the warm care from Dylan. She found it much easier to feel safe with him around. He made her feel loved, feel like she had someone who would stay by her side.

That was new to her.

So that was a night of new things. It was the first time she'd said 'I love you' seriously and aloud to just about anyone.

It was also the first night she had nightmares about dying.

**Awww… sadness. Important to the plot, I promise!**

**Thank you to all my lovelies reading and reviewing! Ehh… please keep on… you know, reading and reviewing!**

**Up next: A nightmare or two, a little RxD fluff, a promise or two, a hunting trip and an unexpected encounter.**


	30. Chapter 29 The End

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 29- The End **

**Rebecca POV-**

I was cold, freezing cold. Scrambling through old stone hallways, my breath was heavy. I glanced constantly over my shoulder.

"_Find her!"_ The voice shook the entire building. Aro. I'd never heard him so angry before.

I had always known the castle like the back of my hand, but for some reason, I found myself not recognizing the hall I was running down. Demitri was suddenly in front of me, causing me to skid to a stop. How had he gotten there so quickly? Was he getting faster, or was I getting slower?

"Hello again." He smirked.

I growled at him, but it didn't come out as aggressive or intimidating as it usually did. He coiled to spring, and before I could even ready myself to parry, he attacked. It was like being hit by a semi, my breath rushed out of my lungs. My head hit the ground with an audible crack, the world blurred around me. What was going on? We used to be an almost even match, now he was practically pummeling me.

I saw his next move, as he rotated his arm around, and threw both my arms up to block it. His blow landed much faster and harder than it should have. I felt something in my arm shatter, and I was thrown backwards.

I was losing, and I knew it. It wasn't like knowing I was losing a normal fight, this wasn't familiar to me.

_I'm going to die,_ I thought, _he's going to kill me._

"You should have stayed one of us while you had the chance, little human." He sneered, pushing me up against the wall with both of his hands gripping my shoulders.

_Human?_ I thought, Demitri never called me that. He always called me 'mutant', 'hybrid', 'freak' or his favorite 'abomination'. I looked down into a puddle on the ground and gasped. My eyes were blue. I met his eyes again with definite terror and shock.

He responding smile was sinister, lips pulling over dangerous venom coated teeth.

I tried to kick him away, struggled to get free, but it was like fighting against a concrete statue.

He chuckled, "Goodbye, Rebecca."

He leaned in, slowly, theatrically. I strained against his hands, but I couldn't budge him. His cold lips pressed against my neck gently once, I felt the curve into a smile, then draw apart.

_I'm going to die._

I felt his teeth slice cleanly into my neck, drawing a desperate scream from my lips.

"_NO!"_ The shriek carried as I jolted awake. My hands flew to my neck in a panic. No blood, no bite marks. I curled my knees into my chest and started shaking.

"Hey, hey," Dylan wrapped his arms around me, "What's wrong?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, visions of Demitri leaning in to kill me dancing behind my eyes.

"Rebecca…" He pulled me into his lap, stroking my hair, "do you want to tell me about it?"

I shook my head, burying my face into his cool chest, my fingers curling around his shirt.

Emmett and Jasper burst through the door, snarling and crouched. They straightened up, seeing me trembling in Dylan's arms. "We heard a scream." Jasper said, worry in his gaze as I rested upon me.

"She had a bad dream." Dylan responded carefully.

"About what dude? It sounded like someone was dying." Emmett asked.

"She's practically hysterical." Jasper murmured, quickly sending off strong calming waves. I felt myself relax slightly, but I couldn't deny the slight pain in my neck. Like it had actually happened.

I shivered, "I dreamed I was fighting Demitri." I murmured, "Except… I was human. Totally human, h-he killed me." My lips trembled, "I couldn't even put up a fight."

Dylan hugged me tighter. "I would _never_ let that happen." He growled.

"Yeah, and if little bro here gets his ass beat you know we'll always have you back, Bex." Emmett joked with a big grin. He picked me up and hugged me so hard all the air rushed out of my lungs. "Nobody, especially Demitri, is gonna lay a hand on you!" He said seriously before setting me back on my bed next to Dylan.

"_Grazie."_ I forced a small smile.

"No problem sis." Emmett remarked causally. I blinked, sis. A real smile pulled at my lips. They were beginning to feel more and more like family.

"You guys wanna talk?" Jasper drawled casually.

"That'd be nice, thanks." Dylan said with a fake smile. Jasper chuckled and shoved a complaining Emmett out my door.

Dylan sighed and buried his face in my neck. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked gently.

"I'm better now." I admitted, finding solace in his embrace. I'd needed it much more in these last hours then I thought I ever would, from anyone.

"You know, you have to know, that I won't ever let him touch you." He sounded almost desperate.

"I believe you." I exhaled, "Thank you."

"For what? I haven't done anything yet." He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"For the promise, and for the fact that I actually believe you." I said seriously.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've heard a lot of empty promises in my life." I said sadly. I turned to him and looked into his molten gold eyes, "Promise me," I whispered, pleadingly, "just tell me you won't go back on your promises. You won't leave me, will you?"

His expression hardened, "Rebecca Medachi," His eyes bored into mine, "I swear to you that I will never, ever, break a single promise I make to you, no matter how small. I will stand by your side until I am a pile of ashes, I will protect you and destroy anyone who tried to hurt you. As long as I'm still _un_dead, no one will ever cause you pain again. I _love_ you Becca. And you have no idea how what you said last night made me feel. You complete me Bex, you make me whole." He vowed lowly.

I felt tears pool in my eyes. No one had ever spoken to me that way before. "Dylan," I managed, "I love you, too." My hand stroked his cheek gently.

He leaned closer to me, so that I had my arms wrapped around his neck, leaning against my pillow and the wall. His lips met mine gently, and though they were cold, it seemed to warm me. Like lighting a slow burning fire. It was sweet, slow… a perfect yet slightly tentative kiss. He was being gently with me. The thought made me smile against his lips. I pushed against his mouth with a little pressure, not much, but enough for him to know it was okay. His response was enthusiastic, molding our lips together. Our breathing became raged, as his lips captured mine over and over between breaths.

What seemed like hours later, though at the same time far too soon, he pulled away. But only so I could catch my breath, he peppered kisses down my neck and collar bone.

"You complete me." He murmured, happiness singing in his voice.

"Forever." I sighed in agreement, my hands tangled in his messy hair. I gasped for air as he kissed me, each kiss scorched my skin.

His thumb traced the scars on my cheek gently, "I _will_ protect you." He said forcefully.

I smiled, "I know." For some reason, him being protective of me didn't trigger the 'I can take of myself _damnit_' response. With him, it was sweet.

He nibbled my ear playfully in response, causing me to laugh quietly. When his lips met mine again, it was much more fierce. My fingers looped into his hair, pulling him as close to me as possible. His hands gripped my waist, pulling _me_ towards _him_. My mind only wanted to get closer, closer to the person who could make me feel happy and hopeful when no one else could.

The feelings were almost overwhelming, they were all so new to me. Somehow, we ended up rather entangled on top of the bed. I was sitting in his lap (sort of), and his arms were wrapped tightly around me. It was wonderful. His lips pushed against my lower lip gently… caressing and kneading it. Trying to push my lips apart slowly, and I knew without actually knowing what he was asking. My lips parted ever so slightly as I continued to kiss him. His tongue dragged across the front of my teeth, making me shiver, and then I met his mouth with my own. His tongue danced with mine. Pure bliss. I'd never felt anything like it in my life. All I could do was press my mouth harder against his and wish that he would never let go.

Oh, the _taste_ of it, of him, of his mouth…

A tiny moan escaped me.

Dylan pulled away, laughing. I blushed furiously, and ducked my head.

"I take it," His breath was still uneven and laughter filled his words, "You enjoyed that?"

"A little." I admitted in a whisper.

"Haha!" He let out a breathy laugh, flopping back on my bed and grinning like an idiot, "Ah, I feel like I'm the happiest man alive."

"And why's that?" I teased him, placing my head on his chest and snuggling into his side.

"Mmm… you." He said, "You know, we should go somewhere." He stated randomly.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, like go see a movie, or… go to a fair, or out to dinner if you want but maybe that's not such a great idea, you know? Umm… or really anything as long as you want to go, I mean… if you don't wanna go that's okay to…" He babbled on before falling silent and rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Dylan…" I turned my head to catch his eyes, "are you asking me out on a… _date?_" I asked.

There was an eruption of laughter from somewhere downstairs. It was Emmett for sure, which made me mortified to think that he'd been listening the whole time.

"Yeah… he's another reason I kind of want to get out of here to talk for a little bit." He grumbled.

"Aww Dylan's got a date!" Emmett yelled from downstairs.

Dylan cursed under his breath. I smiled slightly,

"Sure. You can pick what you want to do." I said simply with a shrug, earning a dazzling smile in response.

So far, this day was so much better than the last. Near fantastic.

"Hey, Dylan! Bella and Nessie are doing hunting with Jake," Jasper called, "Nessie wants her big brother to come with her." He said. In reality, he was speaking at a normal level. Nessie regarded Emmett and Jasper as her Uncles, Carlisle as her grandfather, and Dylan as her brother. For some reason, Dylan just wasn't old enough to be an Uncle.

"I'll come." I decided, Dylan gave me a quizzical look, "Learning." I explained, "Eventually, the thirst will come back, and I think being able to hunt like you is possibly the only solution."

"I guess." He said hesitantly, "If you're careful, and I mean very careful."

"Has Jacob ever been hurt when he joins Bella and Nessie for hunting?" I rolled my eyes as I asked.

"No."

"Then I'll be fine." I said with a quick wink.

"If you say so."

"Gah, don't worry about me, no one's attacked Ness yet either." I chuckled and all but pushed us both out my door.

**Page Break-**

"I caught the biggest!" Nessie declared several hours later.

"No, I think that was me." Dylan argued, depositing his buck next to Renesmee's. Watching Dylan hunt was rather interesting. He was incredibly graceful in his movements, swift and deliberate. Before, I'd only seen the Voltrui hunt. They were cruel, even a tad messy in their hunting. Dylan was quick, and neat. I doubt his buck even saw death coming.

"Um… guys," Bella called, looking rather amused, "I think Jake wins." Jake smirked a wolfy grin as he dropped his huge catch, twice as big as Dylan's.

I chuckled, leaning against a nearby tree, watching them bicker.

My ears twitched, a tiny gasp rang out from the top of a cliff overlooking our position. A blonde female with golden eyes that I had never seen before stared at us with shock. Bella's head whipped back to follow her gaze while my eyes stayed glued to her.

She mouthed the words, "Immortal child'. Two words that made my blood run cold, my head whipped back to Renesmee, then to her horrified expression. Bella had missed those two words. She instead called out to the female who retorted with a snarl.

"_No!"_ I cried out as she turned away. Somehow, I knew where she was going, the idea made adrenaline seep into my blood like ice as I shot into the woods after her. I could hear yells of confusion after me. They didn't understand, they hadn't heard those two words. To Volturi, it was the ultimate sin, unforgivable. It called for complete destruction of the guilty, utter decimation.

I scaled the cliff face easily, and leapt out in front of her. "_Femrarsi!"_ I cried out, yanking my sleeve down to show my Volturi brand. "Stop!" I voiced again in English.

The female skidded to a sudden stop.

"A Volturi?" She asked astounded, then she seemed to come to her senses. "There's an immortal child! I saw you down there with it, why didn't you do something?"

"That's not an immortal child." I snarled lowly.

Her eyes narrowed, "I know who you are. You're that runaway, Medachi." She tensed in a crouch, and I took a half step back. We were on a narrow strait of rock that dropped to an endless blackness below on either side. I didn't like the feeling of being cornered.

Another growl escaped me, "Do not force the hand of guard where it is not needed, you are foolish." I hissed.

"No!" She snapped, "You are! You broke the law, you'll all be burned!" She turned on her heels and veered to the side, leaping off the cliff and diving towards the dark forest below. I charged after her to pause at the edge. The drop was steep, and no doubt very long.

"God DAMNIT!" I spit furiously, there was no way I could survive a jump from that height. With as much speed as I could, I clambered down the face of the cliff, where Dylan waited for me. Bella, Ness and Jacob were not but two steps behind.

"What was that, Irina seemed really upset?" Bella wondered.

"We have to get back!" I snapped urgently, "_Irina_ thinks Nessie is an immortal child!" I smashed my fist into the cliff face, "I tried to stop her, but I couldn't."

"What do you mean?" Jacob, in human form asked, concern in his voice.

"I… I don't know." I murmured, what did this mean for all of us? Would the Volturi come.

My heart fluttered. Facing the Volturi again seemed like a death sentence for me.

"Let's go!" I yelled, and started running. Our time was already ticking away. I knew that the attack would come, but how it would come was the question. If a strike team was sent we were truly doomed. They would be here tomorrow, five of the best of the guard, Jane, Alec, Demitri, Felix and the young assassin Corin. Corin was a new member of the guard but what his gift was terrified me. He was like smoke, appearing and reappearing, completely silent and without any scent. He was like the whisper of death before it came.

If it was a full scale attack, the entire Volturi and witnesses, we would have more time, but we would need to assemble an army.

As the house was insight, I heard the sound of shattering glass, and a gasp from Alice.

"No." She breathed.

She had seen it. It was too late.

I burst through the door. "They're coming!" Alice and I said at the same time, though I shouted it. Emmett and Jasper crouched, snarls emanating from both of them as they searched for the threat.

"What, what's going on?" Carlisle demanded.

"It's all over." Alice whispered, "We've all been sentenced to die."

"Volturi." Edward sucked in a breath.

"What?"

"When?"

"Why?" Esme asked, "How?"

"_When_?" Edward pressed Alice.

"A month at the most, there's snow on the ground… in the trees."

A shockwave rippled through the crowd.

"What was that?"

"It's too late!" Alice insisted to her brother, Edward frowned.

"No, that little flash, what was-"

"It doesn't matter!" She snapped.

The Volturi were coming. We were all sentenced to die. After all of this, the planning, running, calculated loss… it came to an end like this? Executed for the mistakes of a biased woman.

"No." I murmured quietly, the Cullens were moving faster around me. Planning, arguing.

It won't end this way. I didn't come this far to submit.

"Rebecca?" Dylan's hand was on my shoulder, "Did you hear what Carlisle said?"

I turned, Carlisle was frowning at me slightly. He looked guilty, "If you want, you can leave us. We'll understand, this puts you in a very tough situation." He offered with a kind voice.

I frowned and shook my head, "No. Irina saw me anyway, by the time the Volturi speak with her they'll know that I'm here."

Everyone was scared.

I… I have to help, I thought tentatively, I have to help make this right.

"We just have to make them stop and listen." Bella said, "They'll listen to reason if we have enough witnesses, they _have to_."

All eyes shifted to me, "Will they?" Esme asked me.

I blinked, "If… if you have enough witnesses and you can prevent their initial attack…" I mulled it over in my mind. A sudden burst of hope sprang forward. It could work. "Yes!" I suddenly cried out, causing Esme to jump slightly, "Yes! If we have enough people they'll pause! Once they pause they'll see, she has a heartbeat, she's… she's alive!" I babbled on, "It will work!"

"Then we have a significant task ahead of us." Carlisle nodded. Alice and Jasper had disappeared out of the room as we decided who should go where to find nomads of other covens who might help us.

Dylan, Edward, Bella, Nessie, Jacob and I would all stay here to greet the vampires as they came and plead our story. I was staying because Dylan was worried about my safety, and he insisted that both he and I stay. I was in a mild state of shock to say the least. Even imagining facing my old family had me trembling. I didn't know if I could do it after all this time. I escaped before my sixteenth birthday, and I was now turning seventeen in less than two weeks. Alice had figured we had until just after Christmas.

Finally, into the longer hours of the night, I was all but forced up stairs for the sleep

That night would be one of the worst in my existence.

It was plagued with nightmares of death. Not only of mine, but of my father's, of Dylan's, of every friendly face I'd ever seen. When I woke, there were no comforting arms around me. The night stilled in its own dark solitude. What was worse was the iron grip that my old acquaintance had on me.

Fear.

Like unshakable steal, it had me again. I had shaken it only a handful of times, and it had ruled my life for most of my years. But as a freed bird can tell you, the only thing worse than being captured, is being captured twice. It was like drowning in old memories. Fear lurks everywhere, but the familiarity of the feeling is unshakeable. I placed my head in my hands and rubbed my temples. In the mirror, my scars seemed to glow more than before.

Perhaps this was a relapse, part of my brain thought, perhaps when your past rises up, you must draw upon what you used to be. Perhaps that is the only way I will survive. My violet eyes darkened in the mirror as I gripped the hilt of Luke's sword and weighed it in my hands. I'd been slacking off on my training.

Did it matter now? I questioned myself as my eyes raked over the blade, did it really matter? Could I keep going on, pretending that none of it had ever happened? Living blissfully ignorant and becoming Rebecca Cullen, forgetting completely the warrior that once was Athena Volturi?

_No one escapes their past._

I gritted my teeth, _but everyone tries._

The surges of energy I'd ignored for several weeks now were back. I no longer regarded them as black reminders of a past I should be ashamed of. It was part of life. Get used to it, or get over it.

Downstairs, Esme was crying quietly, Rosalie was trying to console her. My eyes swept the living room.

"She's gone." Edward said quietly, his gaze flicking to me. "She took Jasper with her."

_The words he didn't need to say:_

_We're doomed. We're all dead, and she knows it._

"_Dio cazzarola!"_ I spit out. "You just give up?" Silent and dreary faces met mine, I noticed Dylan was among them. "What happened to your brilliant plan?" I demanded.

"Alice left… she must have seen that-" Rose started.

"To hell with what she saw!" I cut her off, "You would lie down and let the Guard waltz in on your territory then simply fall at their feet?"

Silence.

"You wish to be mocked then?" I snarled, "Is that what you want? Because if that is your plan I can tell you, the mockery will come. Then end will not be swift, I have seen it myself they do _not_ give mercy for situations such as this! All you will be doing is making it easier for them, not less painful for yourselves!"

"You know what?" Rose snapped, angry, "Not all of us are irrationally unable to recognize when they're unable to win!"

"Maybe it's best that I've been taught not to!" I shot back, "At least I'll never die on my _knees!"_

She recoiled and shrank down into her chair.

"Alice had a vision where you said something like that once." She murmured, her eyes distantly gazing into mine.

"I'm sure she did." I said quietly, "But listen to me Rosalie," I whispered, "Giving up will get you no mercy in this situation. I _know_ the Volturi. You stand a better chance fighting, at least… at least fighting you will be able to get Renesmee out. In surrender, we all die. If we stand and fight, some of us at least may live." I pleaded not only with her but with the entire family.

Dylan stood up.

"I'm with Bex." He said, "If we die anyway, why should we go quietly?"

Emmett stood next, "Let's give them one hell of a fight then." He pounded his two fists together with a resounding crash. Rosalie took his hand, "If we die, we die fighting together."

Carlisle glanced at me skeptically, "And with we gather enough witnesses?"

"Then if it comes to a fight, perhaps it will be they on their knees, and not us." I smiled wickedly. Though the idea of fighting Felix did not appeal to me, I would not stand by and watch my new family be slaughtered like pigs.

"Where are the dogs?" I asked, suddenly realizing their absence.

"Spreading the word to the other pack. Jacob and his pack will be fighting with us, he said he would die before anyone touched Renesmee." Bella said quietly.

"Good, we can use their help to." I muttered, "And what of the other covens you were supposedly tracking down?" I accused them, "Did you give up on them to?"

Emmett punched my shoulder lightly, "Shut up kiddo, we got it already." He said with a wink.

I smirked slightly, "Felix always told me I could get a Quaker to enlist."

"You're so inspirational." Dylan mocked and hugged me.

I sighed and leaned against him, "That was more tiring than I thought it would be." I grumbled.

"Ah, only because you had to convince a crying mother who's just lost two of her children." Dylan said gravely.

I scowled, "They'll be back."

He sighed, "I'm not sure…"

"I am." I said firmly.

He rolled his eyes, "You are impossible to argue with."

"I am." I repeated.

"Sh!" He insisted and kissed me briefly before pulling back and winking at me, "Nice speech."

I nodded slightly, folding my hands behind me as he walked off to help Rosalie and Emmett get organized. They would most likely be out to Europe soon.

Which reminded me…

I pulled out the tiny cell-phone Alice had given not three days ago and dialed.

"_Hello, operator, how may I help you?"_

"Yes, operator… patch me through to Cairo. A small village by the name of Mumbeli? There's a public telephone in that village, it's the only one for miles." I said with a pleasant tone.

"_Just a minute ma'am."_

"Grazie."

I sat down on the couch and listened to what many people qualify as 'elevator music'. Several seconds later, someone picked up.

"_Hello?"_

I smiled, "Hello, old friend." I replied cheerfully.

"_Who's this?"_ A rather cranky Amun demanded into the receiver. _"Have you any idea what time it is?"_

"I'm sure it is some dreadful time though you and I both know that doesn't matter for you Amun. It's Demadora." I said coolly.

"_What do you want?"_

"I have a favor to ask on Carlisle's behalf."

**Thanks for reading everyone! A special thanks to JandMbooklovers for your enthusiastic reviews, and the use of my favorite button (the caps lock button). Dizzy Miss Lizzy, thank you for your ever-entertaining and funny reviews! And finally to sand n' sable for your forever loyal reviews of my story, seeing them on my story stats makes me smile.**

**Please review and let me know what you think! **

**The Volturi are coming (dun dun duhhhn) but before they do the witnesses have to first! Garrett will make his triumphant return! :D**

**Up next: The witnesses start arriving, the impending Volturi invasion draws near, Rebecca and Dylan have their first date, and Rebecca juggles her newly found split paths.**


	31. Chapter 30 Resolve

**Disclaimer- Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight**

**Ms. Meyer wrote New Moon.**

**And then soon Eclipse as well.**

**And as most of us can tell, she wrote Breaking Dawn as well.**

**I don't own any of her characters, which is just swell.**

**Because though it means I own nothing of hers,**

**My creation of Rebecca is mine to claim.**

**I just wish she'd act more tame…**

**Haha, I can rhyme sometimes! … I really should stop. Anywho, thought I'd make a funny disclaimer for you all.**

**Chapter 30- New Beginnings**

**Rebecca POV-**

"Stop pacing."

I hissed angrily in his general direction.

"Seriously, I'm getting dizzy."

This time, I simply shot him a glower.

"Becca, c'mon!" Jake whined, "Stop pacing."

"I'm _anxious_." I snapped.

He rolled his eyes, "Look, I know spending a night without Dylan may be hard for you."

I snarled and flipped him off,

"But I promise you that the Denalis are good vegetarians just like the Cullen's. God, I can't believe I'm having to say this." He grumbled under his breath.

"Vegetarians still eat animals." I muttered, "Jacob, will you please keep an eye on Savel? I worry about her." I murmured, watching my pup chase her tail around in circles.

"Sure, sure." Jake reassured me.

I clenched my jaw again. Bella and Jake were on bad terms ever since he invited her father over, but I still regarded the boy as one of my friends.

"What's up Italy?" He asked causally.

I bit back a growl, "I'm… I don't know." I admitted, "I feel like everything I've been trying to hide from is going to end up at that front door as more witnesses start showing up. There's a few faces I'd rather not see again."

Jake frowned, "Italy…" He said slowly, "Italy, you have probably been through more in one or two years of your life than I'll go through before I die. That said, you can do this Bex. It's all mental, you know? I know there's a lot of fear and doubt involved, but you have to see past that. No one will hurt you, Dylan's promised that, and so have Emmett and Jasper. And so do I."

I gazed at him with slight surprise. "Thanks." I muttered.

"Need a hug?" He smirked.

"No. You stink, go take a shower." I mocked him lightly, making us both laugh a little.

"Sooo…" He drew out the word. We both heard the Denali's coming. "What do you know about these veg-heads?"

I paused, "They tried to help Dylan." Was the first thing that came to mind, "He lived with them for a while before… well, they couldn't teach him how to control his thirst so they 'dropped' him here."

"Really?" Jake burst out in laughs, "You know he was all silent and depressed when he got here, right?" He asked me.

I shook my head.

"Well he was."

"Eleazar and I don't talk much, so he never mentioned it to me. He's their leader… the Denalis, and a former Guard member." I crossed my arms over my chest I could smell them now. I was tensely waiting in the kitchen for Edward and Bella to walk in. Hopefully, the 'talk' would go well and the Denalis would accept our request to be witnesses. Only then was I allowed to meet them, because I tended to provoke negative responses in vampires.

Let's see why;

Vampire like appearance + scars = _Scary! I feel threatened._

Threat = _I attack you to protect myself!_

Threat + human heartbeat = !%?&# _I'm confused… and I feel threatened, so… I attack you!_

Basically, it almost never goes over well.

"Bella, bring Renesmee out." I heard Edward call.

"Let the fireworks begin." Jacob joked lightly. I pursed my lips, I should be out there. What if they wouldn't pause to see she wasn't an immortal child. What if they attack Edward, Bella and Dylan to get to Nessie? They were evenly matched number wise…

"Stop thinking Bex." Jacob blurted out, interrupting my thoughts.

I grimaced, "Thanks."

"No problem."

The door opened. There was laughter, and tension.

"You've changed quite a bit, I must say I'm proud of you, Dylan." I heard a voice that must have been Eleazar's say.

"Thank you very much." Dylan replied humbly.

"Can I hold the _bebe linda_, please?" A female asked.

"Of course." Bella responded civilly. "Dylan… if you want…" She was letting him leave.

"Just a minute, I'll be right back." His voice was perfectly even. He was unharmed. An irrational fear, I know, but I feared none the less.

"I hear two more heartbeats." Someone commented as Dylan walked into the kitchen with my favorite dazzling smile of his.

"Dylan!" I hugged him tightly, making him laugh. Jacob snorted and lazily dragged himself upstairs.

"What, did you think my old friends were going to eat me?" He ruffled my hair with his hand.

"A girl worries." I sighed.

"You just worry so much more than anyone else." He teased.

"I have my reasons." I reminded him. He pressed his palm to the side of my face, a flash of pain danced in his eyes. For a moment he shut his eyes tightly before sighing deeply.

"I know," He murmured. "I know." Then he glanced down at me a growled slightly. "Did you _have_ to wear something so… so… _lovely_ for the bunch of vampires I don't know who will be arriving soon?" He groaned.

I blinked. Skinny jeans, boots and my usual fitted black jacket 'lovely'? "Um… Dylan, this isn't exactly elegant fashion…"

His eyes were darker, "You look good."

"Thank you." I laughed.

"Hm… no, I want to hide you behind me until all the rest of the others leave." He grumbled, frowning out the window where we soon expected to see guests.

"The rest aren't even here yet!" I exclaimed.

He smiled slowly, the melt-your-heart-to-a-puddle smile that could make my knees week. He wrapped one arm around my waist and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, "I'm just a tad jealous." He whispered, kissing me gently so I could feel the smile he wore.

"Who is _that?_" A high pitched voice demanded in a hiss not far from where I was standing. Dylan and I both jumped slightly, breaking apart.

"Tanya." Dylan cleared his throat. "No need to raise your voice." This was followed by his trademark lazy smile.

"A human?" Her eyes fell on me. I hissed quietly.

Does everyone need to call me human? I cursed under my breath and resisted the urge to set her on fire. After all… I hadn't been reigning in my gift like I usually did.

"She doesn't really like it when people say she's human." Dylan said seriously, "Tanya this is my… _mate_," He winked at me, "Rebecca. Rebecca this is my sister Tanya."

"_Buongiorno."_ I grumbled indignantly, in turning to glower at her, my hair swept out of my face. Tanya gasped slightly. I felt my face heat in embarrassment, did everyone need to stare?

"H-hi." The blond female managed.

Dylan ushered us both out of the kitchen for a more proper greeting. Bella was holding Nessie and Edward smiled slightly at some thought as I searched the room and picked out the other three new faces.

Eleazar, his mate Carmen, and the other sister Kate.

"Oh, and who's this?" Eleazar asked curiously.

"_Ciao signore __guardiano__, Eleazar."_ I smiled slightly, greeting him as only a member of the Guard would have (in proper, formal Italian). His eyes all but popped out of his head.

"Eleazar, this is our new sister, Rebecca Medachi." Edward explained calmly, "She was rescued and raised by the Volturi Guard before escaping about a year ago."

Eleazar stared at me, "_Sei Atena_, you're Athena." He inhaled sharply, "What a gift… what a talent…" He ranted quietly.

I groaned, "Has _everyone_ heard negative things about me?"

Kate smiled slightly, "On the contrary, I haven't heard anything about this 'Athena' character, I do however know that the girl my brother seems to be head over heels like a pup for seems rather nice." She said kindly while Dylan scowled at her.

"I am not a puppy dog!" He complained.

"Woof woof!" Kate yipped theatrically, making us all laugh.

"Speaking of dogs…" Edward started.

"Is that my cue?" Jacob walked into the room, thankfully wearing a shirt. Edward rolled his eyes at Jake's theatrics.

"More or less Jacob." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. The Denalis all growled lowly.

"What is the mutt doing here?" Tanya demanded angrily.

"They helped us last spring when you refused to. We've created an alliance." Edward said shortly, using the old guilt trip.

The Denalis ducked their heads slightly in what was no doubt shame and regret.

"We are very, very sorry for leaving you in tight spot like that." Eleazar said seriously, remorse in his voice. I couldn't help the sneer that the Denalis betrayal of the Cullens caused me.

"But what can we offer you by being here besides dying by your sides?" Kate asked in an anxious voice.

"Nobody is dying!" I shouted, "Get it through your heads, have a spine!" I folded my arms over my chest and scowled at them.

"Excuse me?" Tanya demanded, "Who are you to talk? If we lose, the Voltrui will probably just take you back like a lost puppy, and kill the rest of us!"

Light shot from the fireplace like a bomb being set off. Outside, the dimming sky brightened as the fire skyrocketed out the top of the chimney. Kate flinched away from the fireplace as she was standing the closest to it.

"I would _die_ before I got back to _them_." I growled bitterly.

"Well you might just get your wish." Tanya sniffed condescendingly.

Oh, I couldn't wait to start training again so I could kick her ass. I didn't like Tanya, she was hotheaded and shallow. Plus, I'd heard she flirted relentlessly with Edward. A tad creepy if you ask me, she was a succubus after all. For her, I had no respect. The incubus and succubus were the dirt of society in my opinion, scum. And, in terms of an incubus, they created hybrids and left the mothers for dead.

"Let's… not start a fight, okay?" Dylan suggested.

"Indeed." Tanya murmured, "I'm sorry for how I've acted towards you Rebecca," Tanya said with a sincerity that surprised me, "Just… I saw you with my brother and I was worried about him."

Dylan groaned in embarrassment.

"You're forgiven, no worries." I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"This time, we take your side Edward. Where we belong." She said to Edward, "I just wish Irina was here."

I grimaced and Edward cleared his throat, "We saw her." He began,

"You did?" They seemed enthusiastic,

"She saw Renesmee and went to the Volturi. She's the one who told then that told them." He said gravely.

"No!" Carmen gasped.

"Irina did this?" Kate hissed angrily, "_Irina_ did this to you? To Carlisle?"

Edward nodded.

"Dios mio." Kate moaned sadly, "I-I'm so sorry…"

"So am I." Edward muttered, "So am I."

"If we make an agreement, Irina will be returned to you." I said softly, "Until then, she serves as the Volturi's main witness against us."

"So… of all goes well, Irina won't be harmed?" Tanya asked me, her strawberry curls fell over her eyes as she asked, almost concealing the pain for her sister.

"I believe so. When I was a member of the Guard, witnesses were always treated fairly and often times with prestige. They were the deliverers of justice in our eyes, we never harmed them." I said with all sincerity.

She smiled at me briefly, "Thank you." I nodded.

"And if it comes to a fight… she will probably be able to avoid most of the fighting." I tried to be hopeful.

"What about Demitri tracking her?" Eleazar asked, "Tracking all of us?"

"Demitri-" I started,

"Is mine." Edward cut me off.

"Why?" Bella asked.

"It's the only thanks I can give Alice for the last fifty years." He said stiffly. I bowed my head slightly, we all missed Alice.

"We take him together then." I said, "He owes the last eight years of my life back."

Dylan chuckled, "Why him specifically?"

"Because he was a pain in the ass and liked to play 'let's beat up the hybrid' several times a day for fun." I scowled. Dylan's eyes narrowed, he growled.

"Then _I _will kill him. Nobody touches you." He hissed, incensed.

Kate burst into hysterical laughter. "Everyone wants to Demitri and Dylan's being overprotective!" She chuckled, "It's so cute!"

I blushed bright red as the rest of them laughed, except Bella who smiled at me sympathetically.

There was a rumbling noise outside.

"Crap!" Bella muttered, "It's Charlie!"

"No, Jasper's sent his first wave." Edward muttered, "Peter and Charlotte, let's get ready to do this again."

"Good, two more." I muttered.

"Vegs?" Jacob asked.

"Sadly… no. They're Jasper's friends from his time in the south." Edward explained.

I sighed heavily, "Great. I'll have another nervous breakdown just looking at them. I'm gonna get all twitchy again." The words came out as a grumble.

"Why?" Eleazar asked curiously, he hadn't stopped staring at me for a while.

"Rebecca is uncomfortable around new people, which I'm sure you could understand as you used to be in the Guard as well." Dylan said quickly, "She has trouble overriding her instincts after they were drilled into her mind since she was four. When she met Jasper she almost lit him on fire." He chuckled quietly and held my hand.

"In my defense… he… he looked… scary." I muttered my lame excuse.

The car pulled up into the driveway. I could smell the two of them before I heard the footsteps. Then, the knock at the door, which Edward promptly answered.

"Peter, Charlotte, it's good to see you." He said cheerfully.

"Yeah, Jasper sent us but somehow forget to explain the situation." The male, Peter, drawled lazily. The light reflected off his scars, making them stand out plainly. I trembled in place, my mind telling me that I had to do _something_, or he would attack me.

As it turned out, Peter and Charlotte had never seen an immortal child in their life, and had only heard stories. So, they weren't very hesitant around Renesmee, but were more curious. And just like the Denalis, once they heard Nessie's story from her, they were hypnotized by her. I swear, that darling child charms people with her powers of extreme cuteness.

"Well, we'll certainly witness for you. I owe Jasper at least that much." Peter said with a smile. I was all but hiding behind Dylan, trying to calm my nerves.

"Thank you." Edward said, "These are the Denalis, Eleazar his mate Carmen, Tanya and Kate." Edward quickly gestured to each one of them.

Charlotte, a blonde haired small female who reminded me of Alice a bit smiled, "Pleasure to meet you."

"And… my brother Dylan and his…" Edward cocked his head to one side with an amused glance at Dylan who smirked slightly, "His mate Rebecca."

"The family grew again!" Peter chuckled.

Dylan chuckled, "Nice to meet you to."

"I heard you gave ol' Jazz a run for his money!" The boys eyes sparkled.

"Once." Dylan admitted, "Before he put my face through a boulder."

Peter roared with laughter, "Yeah, I can see the Major doing that." He then glanced at me, "And who's the lady?"

I clenched my teeth together. He's a friend, he's a friend, he's a friend, say it with me… _friend… f-r-i-e-n-d._ I called up a mental image of Jasper getting smacked by Alice for making fun of her earrings and the puppy face he gave her. He didn't seem scary at all then, he seemed rather foolish. The thought helped me calm down slightly.

"Rebecca." I said evenly.

"Nice to meet you ma'am." He extended his hand, which I shook. He nearly jumped back. "What _are_ you?" He half-growled.

Well… that just about set me off. Thankfully, there was no repeat of the fire place incident. Mostly because Dylan put his hands on his shoulders and whispered, "It's okay, he's just overreacting, you're fine." Into my ear.

"Peter, she's a hybrid, sort of like Renesmee, so she has a normal human heartbeat." Edward explained rapidly.

"Aha." Peter said slowly, watching me skeptically, and I then realized I was crouched slightly, and straightened up. "What, I scare ya' darlin'?" He drawled.

Dylan scowled disapprovingly, "She was raised by the Volturi, she doesn't handle newcomers lightly." He said with a tad of acid in his tone. Peter held his hands up.

"Fair enough, sorry for scarin' you sugar." He winked.

"Do you act that way around all women?" Dylan demanded.

"What?" Peter looked confused. "_Oh_ that… yeah pretty much. Southern manners my friend." He scolded Dylan, who sighed and rolled his eyes. Charlotte snickered.

"More like mischief, Pete. Don't let him get to ya Becca." Charlotte reassured me. I sent her a weak smile, trying not to focus on the mish-mash of scars crossing around her neck.

"Mhm." I managed, pressing my lips tightly together. "I'm going to get some toast, want some Nessie?" I offered, "I know I never got breakfast."

"No tank you." She said sweetly, saying _tank_ instead of _thank_, which I thought was unbelievably cute.

"Ew." Peter mouthed and I rolled my eyes. Though I must admit, his sense of humor was endearing.

I grabbed a piece of bread from the fridge and shoved it in the toaster. It dinged less than a minute later. "Wow…" I muttered to myself, "Crappy toaster."

Alas, my toast lacked in the toasted department. Still edible, I decided, and munched on it contently. I had definitely not been eating as much as I should have. Downside of being a hybrid, I don't always feel hungry.

"I could make you something more substantial that toast if you want." Dylan offered, sauntering into the kitchen with his hands in his pockets.

"Mmm… I'm okay." I said, "Sides, I still feel kind of twitchy. Peter may be way more relaxed than Jasper but he still freaks me out." I grumbled, massaging my temples.

"_Sorry darling!"_ I heard him call his little joke from the living room.

Dylan rolled his eyes.

"You are one possessive _figlio__di__puttana_, you know that?" I asked him.

"Well… I actually don't know what that means but I can guess. And, yes, yes I am." Dylan chuckled.

We stood there chatting about nothing in particular for a long time. The topics ranged from southern hospitality to toast. Mostly, we were just enjoying each other's company as I munched on my lunch. For a while, I just asked Dylan about his past with the Denalis. I could tell it wasn't a subject he liked discussing, but he told me all the same.

He'd said that for the first month he was a successful vegetarian, so long as one of the Denalis was with him most of the time. But after that, he'd experienced slip-up after slip-up, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to gain control. It was after hundreds of close calls and countless accidental deaths that he began to withdraw from the family completely.

"Why?" I asked.

He sighed, "It just seemed… easier. If I kept to myself I didn't have to deal with their disappointment all the time. I was actually afraid of it, letting them down. Especially Carmen. I remember the time I went out hunting with Kate, and… well, a hiker had gotten lost. I hadn't messed up in two months. It absolutely crushed Carmen. Beyond that, it was like a pattern, once I slipped up it was so much harder to control my thirst. Then I'd lose control more often for… a while before I could force myself back to normal." He muttered, leaning his back against the kitchen counter, his pale hands gripping it's edge. A deep frown was etched into his brow.

"So they gave up on you?" I asked, getting angry with the Denalis, "That's terrible."

"No," The corner of his lip twitched with humor that wasn't happy, "I gave up on myself. I didn't talk to them, or anyone, if I hunted at all it was by myself and very rarely. The guilt was… terrible. I couldn't stop thinking about my adoptive parents, my friends. All of the Denalis had control, they didn't murder people… but I did. I hated myself." He glowered at the ground. "Eleazar became extremely… _concerned_," He said slowly, "with my solitary state. He sought help from Carlisle and then decided I would be much better off with those who were closer to my own age, or struggling with the diet as well, like Jasper." He explained then smiled slightly, "Kate, Tanya and Irina are all much older than I, and I always felt a tad awkward around them."

I stood there silently for a second, just observing his expression and reflecting. He had told me about his parents, and I imagined what they looked like. I wondered what _he_ had looked like when he was human. Most likely similar to how he was now. His height would have been the same, perhaps he had a tan from all his outdoor sports, he would have been fit but probably not as muscled, his facial features perhaps were slightly more subtle. His eyes… I paused,

"What color were your eyes when you were human?" I asked.

He was slightly surprised at my question, "Green."

I could see that. Swirling misty green eyes set against skin with the shades of warm springs and raven black hair that fell tangled around his face. I smiled to myself.

"You're thinking about what I looked like while I was human." He guessed with a quizzical look.

"The life you led as a human is at least part of who you are now. I wonder." I explained.

"Oh." He muttered.

I took his hand in my and he looked at me with surprise contained in the depths of his topaz eyes. "You're not a monster." I said gently, "The fact that you felt guilt proves that."

Realization dawned on his features, "I never thought of it that way." He admitted, his voice hoarse, "Thank you."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his torso, kissing his cheek. A slow smile pulled at his lips and brightened his eyes. "You're amazing." He said with slight disbelief.

"Thank you." I chuckled, "I try."

He laughed, a throaty laugh that shook his whole frame.

We remained that way, laughing and joking until the Irish coven and Egyptians arrived at almost the same time.

"I'll handle that Egyptians, Edward, you have enough to deal with." I offered pleasantly.

"Thanks." He muttered, trying to face Maggie, Liam and Siobhan at once.

"Ben!" I cried out as he engulfed me in a hug.

"Hello Demi!" He said cheerfully before setting me down. I pursed my lips, realizing I'd forgotten that he never knew my real name.

"Ah… hi Ben." I muttered awkwardly. Dylan was at my side now. "Well, before we go into what's going on now… um… my name isn't Demi." I finally managed.

"WHAT?" Amun shouted, "You _lied?_" Amun liked to overreact, and find any reason possible to see someone as a traitor who was trying to steal Ben from him.

"Yeah." I said plainly, "You know my situation, would you tell a bunch of strangers your real name if you were me?" I asked him seriously. He sighed.

"I suppose not. What's your name?"

"Rebecca Medachi." I responded shortly, "This is Dylan." I gestured towards him.

"Why did you call us here Dem-… Rebecca?" Tia asked me. Her voice was kind and gentle, as it always was.

"Well, we have a problem and we _need_ your help. Seeing as Amun is a friend of Carlisle's I was helping you could help us." I said seriously, feeling my expression darken.

Amun frowned, "What, has… is this about William?" He hissed out.

"No." I snarled, feeling anger boil at the mention of his name. I cleared my throat, calming down, "It's not about him. It's about the Volturi… and well, they're targeting us unfairly. We need witnesses, people who can just standby us and help us validate our point. No fighting required if everything goes smoothly."

They were all silent for a moment, Amun looked nervous.

"Why are they targeting you?" He asked slowly.

"They think we created an immortal child, _whichwedidn't!_" I had to rush out the last part seeing the reaction the first statement got.

"Proceed…" Ben said anxiously.

"Well, someone saw the child, who is the biological daughter of Edward and Bella, conceived when Bell was human, and assumed she was immortal. This witness then told the Volturi." I said, "And if they have their way, my family and I will all be ashes in about a month."

"We'll witness for you." Ben said at the exact time that Amun said, "We'll have to think about it."

I groaned in protest, I was hoping this wouldn't happen. Amun and Ben had a very loose alliance based solely on Amun's hunger for Ben's power. They started arguing, and not to quietly, and not in English. Or Italian. Which put me in a foul mood and had me scowling at them. Tia sighed and rubbed her temples while Kebi remained silent. She was an odd character and remained pretty much compliant to whatever Amun said.

Benjamin then growled something _very_ angrily, and Amun seemed to pale. If vampires can do that. I was standing beside them, watching them yell, my eyes shifting from on to the other when Amun finally caved.

"Fine." He murmured, "Fine! We stay! But we do not fight!"

"I _will_ fight if it comes down to that!" Benjamin snarled loudly.

"God boy! You are so idiotic and naïve!" Amun growled.

"Are you two quiet done?" I said dryly. Ben nodded, Amun fumed silently, "Good. Let's go meet Renesmee." I said shortly.

"Who?" Ben asked.

"The hybrid." I snapped impatiently. With that, it was back to the main room, where Maggie was cheerfully playing with Renesmee's hair. "Renesmee, this is Amun, Kebi, Benjamin and Tia."

"Hello." She said in her trilling soprano voice, smiling from Maggie's arms. "Do you want to know my story?"

She then proceeded to tell Ben and Tia her story, but Amun and Kebi refused, even after I yelled at Amun for being thickheaded. I mean, he was a good guy and all, but he tended to be a real bastard sometimes.

"Emmett and Rose will get back soon." Edward said evenly, appearing beside me like the stealthy creep he could be. I mean, I heard about how he kind of stalked Bella and I know it was for love and all… but… creepy.

"Carlisle and Esme?" I asked.

"Shortly after." He said passively, though I knew he was anxious.

"Until then…?"

"Train them, I suppose. The ones who are willing or who want to stay if there's a fight. I-… I can't… I can't help Bella learn." He forced out, expression one of tortured pain, "It makes it all too real… looking at ways to attack her… I can't do it." He murmured.

I awkwardly patted his shoulder in a poor attempt to console him.

"It's completely understandable. I'll take special care in her training." I promised. He blinked, surprised at my offer thanked me. Then, he said something I didn't expect.

"They're proud of you, you know." He said lowly.

"Excuse me?"

"Carlisle and Esme, well… all of us. We're all proud of you for how you've opened up. Faced your demons, however you'd like to say it… It's not easy. We understand that, especially since you're a hybrid." Edward was both sympathetic and empathetic, "And you've helped Dylan tremendously. You didn't know him before, so you don't see the change in him that we do."

That made me smile slightly.

"He's embraced the past… and the future." I grinned, "And, in a way he's taught me to do the same thing."

"I'm sure he'll be absolutely thrilled to hear that. Esme too." He smiled back at me. It felt oddly like having an older brother.

I nodded, "I've come to realize that I can't change the past." I admitted slowly, "And I should be grateful for my time in Volterra, because of all it taught me. At the same time, I'm not going to let it bring me down anymore." The last bit was a firm resolution, and though I'd thought it many a time, this was the first time I'd said it aloud.

"A new start." He summarized for me.

"A new beginning." I agreed, smiling out at the yard as the sun slowly disappeared behind the trees, signifying that this day had come to a close. But tomorrow was a whole new day, something yet to come.

There is a common miracle, I thought to myself, it's a miracle that we can have a new beginning each and every day, that we can start fresh with every sunrise. I smiled at the thought, and silently promised to make the best of the opportunities that came with each new day and new beginning.

**~','/ 3/ ','~**

**That's a rap folks! ;) Let me know what you thought of the chapter, really! **

**So… it was longer than normal, took me forever to write. HAPPY HALLOWEEN. Please review! And, also, let me know what you think of the snipit I put in about Dylan…**

**-Zeri**


	32. Chapter 31 Train

**My friends, it's been twenty day. TWENTY WHOLE DAYS. I sincerely apologize for the delays, I've been mixed up in both exams and ski-racing camps out West. This is the first time I've been back on my computer. I never realized how much I miss writing!**

**That said, to the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Stephanie Meyer does and ALWAYS will, none of the characters of the Twilight Saga are mine nor do I take ownership of her basic plotlines. However, the original characters within the altered plotline of this story are, by definition of the fair usage guidelines, mine and original.**

… **now at least no one can say I didn't cover all my bases when I wrote the disclaimer :P**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 31- Train**

**Rebecca-**

"Though we hope to avoid a fight entirely," Edward began, standing in the center of the circle that witnesses formed, "it would be beyond idiotic to not at least cover basic training. Last spring, my family and I at least rained to defeat newborns. But as you all know, the Volturi are something completely different." He said.

Eleazar nodded slightly next to me.

"We are very, make that extremely, luck and fortunate to have two former members of the Guard among us. This is a huge advantage." He emphasized, "The Volturi do not fight like any other group of vampires, because they have had millennia to perfect their form, and adapt it. As Rebecca and Eleazar can attest to… there are differences in their training even though they were each members of the Guard only a few decades apart."

"Get on with it!" A voice called from behind us. I turned to see Emmett wearing one of the biggest goofy smiles I'd ever seen. He ran over cheerfully and hugged Bella, Nessie, and then me before giving his brother a clap on the back. "Think you'd start without me?" He joked lightly.

"Of course not Emmett," I chuckled, "Edward was drawing out his speech just for you."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"Who's going first?" Emmett asked as Rosalie took her place in the circle next to Bella.

"Not you." Edward stopped him quickly, "Rebecca and Eleazar."

"Pardon?" Eleazar asked quickly.

"It would be a good example, to show everyone else what they will most likely be up against." Edward explained.

"She could get hurt!" He protested.

I scowled at him indignantly, "Really?" I sniffed.

"No offense intended of course, but with your condition-"

"_Condition!" _My voice rose two octaves.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, "As of right now, you can either fight her by agreeing to, or fight her out of self defense, Eleazar."

I bristled silently, feeling my fingers tingle and my lip curl of my teeth. Condition? Ha!

He glanced at me and grimaced before stepping into the center of the circle. I stood across from him, about ten feet away.

"Ah… I suggest everyone stand back a few feet." I said slowly, with a smile thrown at my opponent.

"You are so much like Felix." Eleazar rolled his eyes.

"Heidi used to have a crush on you, if you were curious. Though I don't believe she's your type… which I heard you told her after her rather aggressive advances." I countered.

Admittedly, I was trying to goad him. And, it worked. He growled and lunged forward. I waited patiently as he closed, and waited for the finesse. As a Volturi, one never attacks head on. And just a split second before he would have hit me, he took a step to the left and spun around once, his left arm whirling around for the impact.

I caught his fist midway through the air and parried downwards, forcing him to compensate by getting lower to the ground. I let the energy fly from my fingers, igniting my hand as I cut up, to send him sailing backwards.

He parried me away, but yelped as the flames hit his forearm and staggered back. I narrowed my eyes, even blocking that blow meant burning yourself. He repositioned himself and growled lowly. I coiled, and attacked first.

With a well timed jump, I leaped over him as he braced for me to lunge. Tapping his right shoulder with my hand, vaulting over and landing behind him. I whirled, slamming my elbow into his back. He staggered forward off balance and I wrapped my arm around his neck. He snapped his knee into my stomach, I staggered back. I attacked, striking high. He ducked under my fist and targeted the small of my back. Quickly, I spun myself around and cut up, slamming my fist into his chin before he had a chance to defend. His head snapped up, a human would have shattered every vertebra in their neck.

He grabbed me by the shoulder and hauled me forward, throwing me so hard I smacked into Liam and knocked him over. As I snapped to my feet, Eleazar crashed into me from the side. We rolled in the forest dirt, straining to get the angle necessary to end the fight. A growl built in my chest.

I kicked against the ground, while holding his shoulders, pulling us both to feet. Exhaling, I let a line of energy become a long, slender loop of flame. He knocked my sideways in a panic. I flipped over once and landed on my feet, skidding backwards. I threw my hands out in front of me, flames ran like a current over my skin and shot forward like an explosion being funneled through a tube. The eyes of everyone in circle reflected the pillar of twisting light and they scurried back. When they fire cleared, Eleazar was covered in dirt, from rolling to stamp out the fire. I smirked slightly.

Because my style was a hands-off, I could afford a few luxuries, but I could attack and defend from a larger distance with fire.

I attacked repeatedly, sending multiple volleys of fire at him, longue reaching tongues that never touched him. He was quick. He snarled lowly, and lunged forward, catching me off guard. We both slammed into the ground again. We broke apart on impact, tumbling in opposite directions. It was all about who got their feet first as we slid through the torn up ground. I met him halfway across the circle, he swung, and I ducked under his arm to get on the other side of his body. His 'in-side' the exposed side. But as quickly as I was there, he was on the attack again so I would have no opportunity to comprise him. I parried multiple times in rapid succession, before hooking my left foot around his ankle and wrenching it forward. He staggered back and I leapt at my chance.

Now, we fought like true Volturi.

Zipping around the space at speed, twirling around each other with complex steps that resembled an intricate dance, leaping through the air, colliding and grappling hundreds of times before even hitting the ground again. I couldn't react any faster than I already was, but I had a feeling Eleazar could. Another rope of fire followed my next attack, he dove, getting under the massive cone of flame by inches and sliding through me. His full body weight hit my weak ankle, the stress on the bone made my knees buckle immediately. He was underneath me and attacking up, not realizing that I was going to falling forward, and his fist connected with my stomach. He knocked me clean off me feet and a few _yards_ backwards.

I heard Dylan growl as he helped me up.

"Hey, hey! Interference!" I protested.

"Are you okay?" He asked tightly.

"I'm fine." I said, slightly confused at his sudden shift in mood.

"Well, that was quiet the example." Edward said clearing his throat. "As you can clearly see, the style of the Volturi is very unique."

"It originated when the first of the guard faced the great revolt. This supposedly happened near the fall of the Roman empire." I stated.

"The War of the Gladiators." Eleazar breathed.

"Exactly." I said. "A man named Promethium changed hundreds of former gladiators. I'm sure a few of you have heard of the southern vampire wars." I said, remembering how Jasper and Alice fled and grimacing slightly, "The whole idea of the newborn army came from the War of the Gladiators, it was the first true vampire war. Hundreds of gladiators were transformed, farmers… who in that time period were among the strongest… were also changed by the thousands."

"The army was estimated to be at three thousand. All hidden in underground tunnels of the collapsed Roman society, the catacombs." Eleazar stated, "The Volturi knew of the army, and began expanding their guard, searching for gifted humans until they numbered roughly around five hundred."

"How could an army of five hundred defeat the thousand newborns? Why didn't any of the humans notice?" Maggie asked curiously, her orange curls blowing in the slight wind.

"Ah, at this time, gladiators would have been slaughtered anyways, people were dying and going missing faster than raindrops fell in a storm." He clarified.

"This bit of history is taught to every member of the Guard." I stated seriously, "It is where the traditional school of Volturi fighting originated. What we tell you now has never been heard outside of the Guard… though perhaps Eleazar told his family so they might protect themselves." I glanced at him to which he grinned sheepishly. "It is not a secret, there is no particular trick to the way the fight. Rather, a little intuition. In the first fights, the Guard was decimated. Aro saw that almost all deaths occurred as two fighters met head on. The winner was always who hit the hardest."

"This kind of fighting was all crude brutality," Eleazar said, folding his arms across his chest, "And was incredibly inefficient. So, Aro studied the thoughts of the survivors and began to form his own ideas about how the Guard should fight. At its beginning, it was called 'flanking'. A member of the Guard was taught to guard from attack not by charging into it, but by using lateral movement to step away and catch the enemy as the moved past. Also, attacks were always in lateral movements. A member of the Guard was drilled to never attack straight on. Instead, we attack the sides, forcing the enemy off balance." The way Eleazar said 'we' made everyone in the circle see that he was entranced in his old self.

"Over time, the use of the term 'flanking' was stopped, instead, I learned it as '_combattimento di lato_' or, English, 'sideways fighting'." I said also feeling as if I was once again wearing an ashen cloak, "We focus on the balance of the enemy, should he lean heavily on his right foot, moving forward, you hit from the right side. This side, which we call his 'outside fore' is the side where his arm will most likely be exposed to attack. In this way, this side is completely exposed, for he cannot quickly draw himself back to parry an attack."

"Rebecca and I will demonstrate." Eleazar said, and stood again in the middle of the circle. We stood only about four feet apart, "Now, my right foot is forward, and right fist extended to strike a blow." He said, raising his fist and freezing it inches from my face. "All Rebecca needs to do is to duck under my attack,"

"Fairly easy for me in this position," I said, my eyes locked on his, "The blow is high, even the Volturi strike high, aiming for the neck, the face and the upper chest. This gives the defender an advantage."

"Slow demonstration." Eleazar stated.

"I duck under his fist, pushing it to my inside," I said as I grabbed his fist my right hand and shoving it right, "His entire body now moves to the direction of my parry," Eleazar was shifted off balance as I did this, "Exposing his entire right side to my attack."

I stuck him in the hard in the side of the ribs, causing his torso to bend around my attack. "He bends, head leaning slightly towards me," I said, realizing it looked rather stupid in slow-mo, "And now, it's easy for me," I twisted my arms around his neck so I if I untwisted them, I would be tear his neck, "to… ah… essentially kill the poor fellow."

Eleazar chuckled. "And now, at real speed."

I took a step back, and we both crouched slightly. He struck at full speed, and I parried, throwing him off balancing then quickly stepping sideways and slamming my fist into his side, drawing a sharp breath from him as I wound my arms around his neck. He collapsed to his knees, leaving me the victor.

"Impressive." Emmett murmured.

I let Eleazar go and he stood up, tossing me a friendly grin, "As you can see, this way of fighting was not only successful, but incredibly difficult to defend against. And that is how the Volturi overcame odds worse than six-to-one. It was the first and last war on that kind of scale, even the newborn armies of the south were never as large."

"And this one move is not the only," Eleazar said eagerly, "In fact, it isn't even what one might call an official 'move', it is simply an example of the style. As for defending against it, there is not quick and easy trick. You must be incredibly alert, always protect your sides but do not leave your front exposed, you must be quick, you have to move with your attacker. A true fight of two equal masters looks like a dance, not a backyard brawl." He said seriously, looking at Emmett.

I nodded seriously, "You cannot rely on your strength, it is not enough, I assure you. Our greatest weapons are our speed, agility and wit. If you have an offense gift like Kate, Benjamin, Edward or I, use it. I cannot stress this enough. The Guard relies heavy on the gifts of its members, to even the fight, we must use ours. A defensive gift like Bella's of Eleazar is also crucial. For Bella, it means she can attack freely, without being wary of mental attack, for Eleazar it means he knows exactly what he's up against. This is knowledge, and in a fight knowledge can make the difference between life and death."

Eleazar nodded in agreement. "And another thing, I've already seen some of you mutter about Rebecca here." He said gravely. I stiffened and snarled loudly. "We have to trust each other, and treating her as inferior because of her species is a mistake, I'm warning you now that the one holding back in our fight was her, not me. Moreover, underestimating your enemy is like laying your neck in their hands. Rebecca is one of the finest and most skilled fighters I've ever met, hybrid or not." He said fiercely.

I was moved. People rarely said such kind things about me.

"Who?" I demanded shortly. Everyone was silent. "_WHO?"_ I demanded, angry now. One thing, ONE. THING. That I did NOT handle well _at all_ was being UNDERESTIMATED! Damned if I hadn't spent my whole life fighting hard, proving myself, proving I had the right to live.

Liam and Kebbi stepped forward about half a step each. I sneered slightly.

"No offense intended," Liam mouthed, "I just can't understand… you're half mortal…"

"Indeed, and you are but a child." Kebbi murmured.

"We cannot afford to fight amongst each other." Eleazar said fiercely, his voice like a sharp blade, "We have to trust each other, be able to rely on each other."

The two of them nodded solemnly. Eleazar gave me a pointed glance and I huffed quietly.

I took a deep breath, and let a current of energy hum inside me, slowly letting it flow through my again, and become less chaotic. Eleazar gave me a strange look, "The 'read' on the energy I get from you… it fluctuates. Exactly how powerful is your gift?"

I chuckled quietly and rolled up my sleeves.

A massive storm of fire erupted outward from me in all directions, stretching high into the sky. Eleazar was protected by a small pocket of air… I was precise enough to do _that_ thank you. As the storm expanded, I left pockets for all the members of our circle, until the entire clearing was ablaze in my fire. My fingers stretched apart, palm down, as the storm expanded with them. Almost everyone looked shocked, except for Dylan who had a look of serenity on his face as he gazed at the swirling madness before his eyes. I snapped my hands into closed fists, and with a shrieking noise, the flames drew upward into a high reaching spire above me. It seared through clouds until finally disappearing into smoke in a split second.

I glowered at Liam and Kebbi, who stared at me slack-jawed. Eleazar was the same, and Benjamin was laughing his ass off.

"Oh, oh Rebecca I've missed you." He gasped through laughs, "Your sense of humor is just wonderful. I used to think you'd wipe an entire village off the map if its leader insulted you."

I blushed, "I'm not that bad at controlling my temper."

Dylan was at my side, he hugged me and laughed softly. Then, in a whisper only I would hear, "For some reason I thought that was beautiful. All those colors, strong vivid… magnificent. It reminds me of you." He smiled a dazzling, lazy smile.

"_Grazie."_ I muttered, embarrassed.

And then, we practiced. All of us sparring, swapping partners, occasionally fighting with uneven numbers or in partners. I barked and snapped at the assembly of vampires, impatiently making harsh corrections. But I felt it was necessary, no soft quiet suggestion could save a life.

But when I saw Benjamin fighting Dylan, I became oddly nervous even though he was doing well. Until a loud gust of wind tore at him, making him stagger back a step. I wanted to shout as Ben struck while Dylan had his arms crossed in front of his face, trying to blink out the wind.

I winced at the resounding crash, like two cliff faces slamming together. Dylan was off balance, and Ben flattened him to the ground, arms around his neck. A tiny growl bubbled in me, but didn't break through my lips. I realized, this is what he felt when I was fighting Eleazar. But… why? Why do I feel so protective of him?

Dylan shook the dirt out of his hair as Ben helped him up. He met my tense gaze and winked. I exhaled, he was fine.

With almost everyone laughing cheerfully at how 'training' had gone, we walked back to the house. Dylan was sitting on the couch, yawning as he and Emmett joked loudly across the room. I sat down in his lap, and he wrapped his arms around me. It felt so natural, peaceful. Like he was my refuge. He kissed my forehead,

"Tired?" He asked.

"Nope." I smirked, "You?"

"Not at all." He smirked right back at me, and I rolled my eyes.

"Ayy!" Emmett protested, "No PDA!"

Rose sniffed from her spot on his lap and whacked his shoulder.

"You're one to talk." We both said at the same time.

A strange scent wafted through the air with the wind.

"Yay! They're here!" Emmett jumped up, Rose with him, and ran for the front door.

"Who?" I asked.

"Carlisle and Esme and some nomads."

I froze.

"Which ones?"

"Dunno." He responded with a shrug.

I ground my teeth together. Carlisle walked in with Esme, and Emse hugged Rose and Emmett. I sniffed the air and immediately wanted to scream. Three vampires walked in.

One of them was Garrett.

A furious hiss broke from my lips, his head turned in my direction. I felt myself take a half step forward and crouch before I even realized what I was doing. Arms snaked around my own, holding them against my back. I was shaking in Dylan's grasp. He rubbed my back soothingly.

"Rebecca?" He asked quietly, astounded.

I tried to jump out of Dylan's lap, and lunge at him, but Dylan held me in place.

"Easy, easy, relax." He murmured in my ear.

I wanted to kill him. I wanted to tackle him to the ground and rip of his miserable head, tear him to tiny bits and burn him. Then burn the ashes. Then scatter the ashes so he would never, ever have a chance of ever coming back. I strained slightly against Dylan, his grip tightened. Garrett grimaced and backed up a few steps.

"I'm sorry-" He mouthed.

"_SORRY?_" I exploded furiously, "This is something sorry fixes! Sorry is when you trip someone by accident in a hallway! Not when you abandon someone and LEAVE THEM FOR DEAD! Not after you spent weeks becoming their ONLY friend and then crush them to pieces AND GO BACK ON EVERY SINGLE PROMISE YOU EVER MADE TO THEM!" I screamed.

Tears streamed down my face.

Carlisle and Esme were frozen in shock.

"You left me." I whispered, "Alone. With nothing but a broken leg and a half drunk bottle of _Scotch_." I spit, "I spent almost a month trying to get to Washington. I couldn't even _walk_ for more than an hour at a time. I didn't have any food, Savel and I were _starving_ because you were A COWARD!" The end was a shout. Garrett flinched.

"They would have killed me." He said hoarsely.

"Bull shit! I could've fought them off."

"No… you couldn't have. I never meant to leave you like that… but… I was terrified." He grumbled, "I regret it. I felt guilty, every day. I know it took forever for you to trust me and I'm sorry I betrayed that trust."

I growled quietly, still seething.

"You're a coward Garrett. A godamned coward!" I spit angrily.

He hung his head.

I could feel the waves of anger rolling over me. But someone, it was harder to be mad at someone who didn't fight back. Demitri, I could always be mad at Demitri. He irritated me, when I got mad at him, he got mad back. We shouted at each other, fought each other. He was constantly glowering at me, there was a mutual hate that was a constant fuel to my anger. But, Garrett didn't fight back at all. It almost felt a tad mean to continue yelling, so I stopped. But my glower didn't let up. The feeling of hate didn't lessen. How could he? How could he become my only friend, my traveling partner, my teacher and _leave me?_

"I'm sorry." He muttered again.

"I _don't_ forgive you!" I snapped angrily.

"Okay." He stared at the floor.

I stood up straight and tore my gaze away from him. The room fell silent again. Carlisle sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"This is Mary, Randall… and obviously, Garrett." He said with a hint regret in his voice. "They've already been through the story… and, well, let's just have Renesmee talk to them."

"Kate, can you stay with Bex, I need to go… _talk_ to Garrett." Dylan growled lowly as Garrett ducked out of the room.

"Ah… sure, no problem." Kate muttered as the rest of the witnesses streamed out of the room to speak with our three new nomads. "Sooo…" She said awkwardly.

I dropped my head into my hands and sat back on the couch.

"You guys have a history?" Kate asked.

"He left me for dead." I hissed bitterly.

Kate pursed her lips, "Fear is a powerful force."

"Then he is a coward." I sniffed.

"You've already said that." Kate chuckled.

I grumbled a few choice words in Italian. Kate laughed. "You're a rather amazing girl, you know that?" She chuckled and smiled at me kindly, "What a life you must have lived." Her eyes were starry, far away, "Being able to live not only in our world, but the human world. How amazing! And the places you could go… ah beaches, and beautiful faraway places in the sun! Art museums crowded with humans, anything…" She propped her chin up on her hands.

I burst out laughing, so hard I wicked tears out of my eyes, "Well, you've just dressed up my life to the nines, Kate. How can I live up to that expectation now?" I chuckled.

"Well you've got a long life left to live." Kate replied with a mischievous smile, "You should do… interesting things. Go explore foreign countries, visit the rainforest… _oooh_, go skydiving! You know what? I'm taking you white-water rafting when this is over, it's going to be so much fun! Then, we can camp out by the river bank and-"

I burst out laughing. "You are such a _songnatrice_," I said through laughs, "a dreamer with a wild imagination!"

She smiled and her eyes lit up, "Hey, in this life when almost anything is possible, you've got the opportunity to do things normal people can't. You have to take advantage of that." She smiled again, like she was remembering something, "When I was human I wanted to travel the world… but I never got the chance. I spent the first century of my immortal life sulking about it before I realized that now I could do _anything_. I had the time to do it, and I wouldn't ever run out of time. And I had family who cared about me, forever." She said wistfully.

I paused.

She was right, I realize… letting it all sink in. Here I have a rather unrestricted life, people who care about me no matter my past. Perhaps great opportunities were really out there, if I were only not to scared.

I sighed quietly. For someone who spent their life fighting, trying to be strong… unbreakable, one might never think I was scared. But anxiety… paranoia, fear… they all played strong parts. I was terrified of getting close to people, terrified they'd leave me.

I glanced at Kate, "No skydiving… but white-water rafting sure sounds fun." I smiled at her.

She squealed quietly, "It's a date!"

I thought back to the 'date' I had with Dylan. The date I didn't know the time or place of.

I heard footsteps, and turned to see Garrett frozen at the doorway.

"Ah-um… sorry, I didn't realize."

"Get out." I hissed lowly, without meeting his eyes.

"Yeah, okay." He grumbled. I ground my teeth while Kate stared at him.

"I SAID GET OUT!" I finally screamed after he just stood there eyeing Kate and I, but I think Kate mostly. He backed out and turned down the hallway.

Kate eyed me tentatively, "Don't you think that-"

"Don't." I exhaled through clenched teeth. "Anything else is fine. But don't go there. Not yet." I muttered.

**The end, of this chapter :P**

**Review please! Updates may come sooner, but I make no guarantees!**


	33. Chapter 32 Realize

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 32- Realize**

_All caught up in the eye of the storm,_

_And I don't even know what kind of things I've said_

_My mouth kept moving but my mind went dead._

_So, picking up the pieces, now where do I begin?_

_The hardest part of ending is starting again._

Linkin Park- Waiting For the End

**Rebecca POV-**

I didn't sleep at all that night. Or, the night before that either. My time was divided between overseeing training (specifically Bella's as a favor to her husband) and racking my brains for strategies, the Amazons had arrived, as well as Alistair. He was bitter, and I rather disliked him… pessimistic and sure of death from the start. You can teach someone combat. You can't inspire _fighting spirit_.

I was currently flicking through the second volume of 'A Brief History of Roman Military' by an old historical professor of the twentieth century. The Volturi drew their inspiration from history, so why shouldn't I give myself the same advantage? But flipping through hundreds of pages of tiny English print was giving me more headaches than ideas. From the final defeat of what is modern day Germany to the fall of Rome, and back to the first emperor. Of course, there was the matter of Caesar, and I found his story overly dramatic and rather phony as it changed over the centuries to fit the pen of the new and ambitious author who wrote about the emperor.

Rubbing my eyes, I closed the book and reached for the third volume. Outside, the sun was rising. The glass windows framed the colors nicely as the spread across the sky, and seemed to light it on fire. I stared out the window for a while, my legs curled under me on the couch. Then my gaze dropped back down to the book,

"… _and under his rule, the Romans made great technological advances in both military and agriculture. The armies were drilled in certain techniques, and a soldier became regarded as a very honorable man. The first major adaptation was the formal training of the military, in which small militia were sent to specific sites and drilled in combat. This produced the emergence of group maneuvering, such as the phalanx and in theory also the introduction of strategic flanking of one's enemy. These changes occurred under the new and profound leadership of the bold emperor…"_

I groaned.

Another 'great' ruler meant long and complicated English words to describe him. Scowling, I read quickly through the first chapter, encountering only a few language problems. I had so many drills, theories, techniques and formations swirling around in my brain by the time I was up to the fifth chapter that I was sure I'd be spouting facts about the Roman Empire for days. There were a few helpful things, though. The idea of having a partner while in combat, or a joint attack that provided both defense and a crushing offense.

Except… we weren't defending from a charging army of nomadic human men with spears. Hardly, I thought with amusement, I wouldn't even begin to imagine the outcome of vampires fighting _that_.

Were it only so easy.

I massaged my temples, trying to kneed away the headaches. Quiet footsteps alerted me to the presence of the one person who I seemed to always welcome now.

"Hi." I breathed out as he rubbed my shoulders gently.

"Hey, how's the research going?" He asked cheerfully. I turned, giving him a quizzical look.

"Feeling extra happy?" I asked. He smiled lazily, which made my heart thud a little harder in my chest,

"Absolutely." He said, seeming to light up with pride, "I do believe we have a _date_ tonight, Rebecca." He beamed.

I smiled back at him. "So do I get to know where we're going?" I questioned him.

"Nope." He chuckled.

"When are we going?" I narrowed my eyes slightly, pouting.

"Umm… now." He smirked.

"Now? I-I… Dylan! I am wearing sweat-pants and a tee-shirt! I just read a book for five hours! I need a little time!" I sputtered.

"You look beautiful." He insisted.

"Dylan!" I heard Rose shout angrily, storming in. "Don't think you can sneak this under my nose!"

I grimaced, "On second thought…" I shied away from Rose, suddenly very sure in my current outfit.

"Oh no!" Rose objected, "Give me two minutes tops. Nothing to terrible, I promise." She didn't suggest, it was more a statement of fact, "Oh, c'mon I'm not Alice! I just want to make sure you look nice!" She said, and beneath my relief was a tiny pang at my heart, I missed Alice.

"Fine." I ground out.

She whisked me upstairs and before I knew what was happening, clothes were swirling around me. In less than ten seconds I was wearing a pair of grey shorts and a light purple long-sleeve shirt. Except, the material was a kind of thermal spandex.

"Rose…?"

"Sh. You'll need it where you're going." She said, "Trust me. Otherwise you'd be in a lovely silk dress and heals." She explained quickly with a wink, "Dylan likes it when you wear purple." I felt my cheeks flame.

"So… _you_ know where _my_ date is, but I don't?" I hissed.

"Mhm." She nodded.

"Ugh." I sneered at myself in the mirror. I looked like a hiker. A rather… _wealthy_ hiker, but a hiker none the less.

"Stop that!" Rose totted, "You have a beautiful smile and it's rather neglected."

I turned and scowled at her. "I don't enjoy being turned into a mannequin."

"Oh, this is nothing." Rosalie rolled her eyes, "I should show you Bella's closet. Alice and I renovated it together, oh it's just beautiful. I had to argue with Esme to make the closet bigger, but eventually Bella will come to appreciate it, or so Alice says." She laughed lightly, her smile faltering over his missing sister's name.

I stood up, and Rose steered me towards the mirror. The shorts were modest in length, and comfortable. The shirt was soft and fitted, though I liked the lavender color. She braided my hair in two seconds flat and beamed at me.

"Not your typical cocktail dress but it does suite you." She said cheerfully.

"Thanks Rosalie." I said with appreciation. The clothes were actually very nice.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" She practically bounced up and down and grabbed my hand, taking me back downstairs.

Dylan was standing at the bottom of the stairs, hands behind his back. He actually looked rather impatient, but straightened up when he saw me. He smiled, and the light leapt into his eyes immediately. His entire expression seemed to light up. I felt a smile tug at my lips… which most likely looked goofy.

He hugged me gently and then narrowed his eyes at Rose, "That was _three_ minutes." He said pointedly.

She rolled her eyes again, "A simple 'thank you' would be nice as well."

He pursed his lips, then looked at me, and the hardness in his eyes evaporated again, "Thanks you." He said, without looking away from me. I must have been blushing. "You look beautiful." He murmured softly.

"Thanks." I muttered, staring at my feet. And my… sneakers that I don't remember buying. Rose, I thought.

"Always." He smirked happily and winked, "So… in terms of getting there… you can run…" He started.

"If you try to carry me you won't return to this house with all your limbs." I grumbled, folding my arms over my chest.

"I figured as much." He chuckled, "Follow me." It sounded a bit like a challenge as he ran out of the door and I tore off after him. We weaved through the woods, I kept up with him but I knew he wasn't running as fast as he could.

Then, I leapt up onto a tree branch, and then to another, in front of him and jumped down into his path. I smirked as he jolted to a sudden stop.

"Cheater!" He chided, "No monkeys."

Felix. I immediately thought of his nickname for me. Monkey. But I pushed the thought away, I didn't need it. And I smiled at Dylan, sticking my tongue out. "You're just annoyed I beat you in a race."

He chuckled and closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye.

"I wasn't running as fast as I can." He smirked.

"Yeah? Alright, lead the way. Let's see if you can get there fast enough so I have to follow your scent." I challenged him. I knew that he was competitive, and easily baited into a challenge, just like I was.

He briefly considered, then smiled lazily, "I'm going to be bored waiting for you."

I snorted, "Shut up and run."

He turned and sprinted off down the path, blurring into the trees and bushes. I kept up fairly well most of the way, but as we headed farther north, and began climbing up a mountain, he pulled away. I had to follow his scent as he got father away and harder to see. Soon, we were running above tree-line, and he was within my sight again. It was cold, but the sky was a pale blue and the scenery was breathtaking.

Finally, I caught up. He stood smirking in a depression in the rock at the top of the mountain. It was filled with grass, and alpine-blue-berry bushes. A wall of rock extended ten feet into the air on one side, forming a wall. The grass was up to Dylan's shins.

"Alright, alright… so you beat me." I admitted. He shook with silent laughter.

"Oh, only by ten seconds or so." He chuckled, knowing that that was a lot for a vampire.

I smiled slightly and gazed around this odd meadow, on the top of a mountain. The grass was a unique minty green, with tiny hints of frost. The tall grasses swayed slightly in the high altitude breeze. I blinked and turned around, noticing for the first time the view from the top of the mountain.

A tiny gasp formed in my throat.

It was beautiful. The entire landscape of the north-western America stretched out below us, rising and falling in mountains and valleys. The sun was slowly slotting down towards the high peaks into the distance, throwing light onto a far-way lake making it shimmer like hundreds of diamonds were scattered across it. The sky… spread out like a huge expanse of light opal with clouds scattered and strewn across it, moving swiftly in winds that just started to pull at my jacket. I leaned onto my toes and inhaled deeply, the fresh air filling up my lungs as the wind lifted me the tiniest amount.

For some reason… I'd never experienced anything like this before. I felt free, peaceful, like I had all the time in the world, like nothing was chasing me… like anything… everything I needed was what I already had. To anyone who's never felt that, it's pure bliss.

"Wow." I breathed, the cool air tickling my face as the breeze danced and swirled around the mountain.

"I found this place after I left Denali." Dylan said quietly, standing beside me, his eyes gazing at the horizon. "I used to some here to get away from them."

"Get away from the Cullens?" I asked.

His eyes looked sad, darkened as he nodded. "Being around people who have… who love someone with their whole soul and being, and who feels the same way… without actually understanding that feeling yourself can be difficult. It makes you feel more lonely than you would if you were alone." He admitted with a sarcastic smile tugging at his lips.

"I know what you mean." I muttered. It had been so odd to see how the Cullens interacted. Especially since it was completely unfamiliar to me.

He chuckled softly.

"You did stare at us like we had three heads when you woke up the first day." He smiled.

"Yeaaahhh…" I drew out the world, "You know, traveling across the world by yourself, blowing up an airport and getting attacked by giant wolves gives you an odd view on the world." I sighed.

He was silent, expression tight.

"Well, that…" I said slowly, "and, I was actually scared by all of you."

He let out a breathy laugh, "Oh, really?"

"Well mostly Jasper." I teased, "And Emmett was a tad intimidating, Edward pissed me off… and you…" I paused, and noticed out of the corner of my eye that he turned to face me. Until then we had both been starring forward. "You surprised me." I muttered, "I found myself… really…" I struggled for words, "Well, Jasper I wanted to attack, Emmett I wanted to growl at, Edward I wanted to slap but you… I just wanted to…" I pursed my lips, "Not talk, not at that point. But, I wanted to watch you, learn more about you. You struck as unusual, unique."

"What… does that mean?" He asked lowly, and for a brief second his soft musical voice had my thoughts scrambled. Then I recovered, and mentally slapped myself.

"Well… most vampires I meet, at least at that time, I wanted to either attack or run away from. Carlisle was a rare exception and the entire introduction situation with you all was one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life. However, for some reason, I found myself thinking that I could be _comfortable_ around you. You radiated this hopeful feeling, standing there in your jeans and tee-shirt." I chuckled, tilting my head to one side.

He laughed again, "Good to know you didn't want to hit me. I just remember thinking you were beautiful, but your eyes looked…" His expression turned _tortured_, "dead."

I paused. I didn't think I would ever get used to that. He cared, he really cared and he thought I was _beautiful._ My cheeks must have flushed red slightly because he grinned lazily and shook with quiet laughter.

"What?" I demanded, "What's so funny?"

His smile grew, "You're always so… bashful whenever someone compliments you. But if they insult you, you grind them to a pulp. It's amusing."

"I do not grind people to pulp!" I protested.

He smirked, and waited.

"Okay… maybe a little." I mumbled.

He cocked his eyebrow at me.

"Fine, I have some anger issues." I rolled my eyes as he cracked up again, but god, I loved his laugh.

"Yeah, but it's kind of cute when you go on a tangent." He smiled at me, ruffling my hair with his hand again.

"Gah! You're messing up my braid!" I protested, and playfully shoved him.

"Woops." He grinned sheepishly, and tucked a loose strand of my hair back behind my ear.

I leaned forward slightly, inhaling the scent of his breath. He chuckled and I felt my cheeks heat up. I buried my face in his shoulder to keep him from seeing it. Of course, he knew anyways and just laughed harder.

"Don't laugh at me!" I grumbled and whacked his arm, leaning back to scowl slightly.

His head tilted to one side slightly, "Did you know that when you get annoyed your pupils… spark?" He asked slowly.

"…pardon?" I asked, blinking in surprise.

His lips tugged into a small smile, "I'm serious. They light up for a second." He smiled wider then tilted his head back to the tiny little meadow, "C'mon, I want to show you something." We sat down in the grass and he leaned over, plucking a bright purple flower from the surrounding grass. "These flowers are everywhere around this meadow." He mused, twirling it in his fingers.

I glanced around quickly, "I don't see any others."

He smiled softly at me, his eyes smoldering like molten gold, "That's because they're hidden. They have short stems, so the grass covers them. But if you brush away the grass…" He parted some of the taller grass to his left, exposing a bushel of tiny radiant flowers, "… they're all right there. Little purple flowers, up on top of a mountain. It was the last thing I expected to find when I first came to this place."

Looking back, I realize how much that little mountain-top meadow meant to him. It was _his_ place. He was the only one who knew about it. Nestled among other mountains, it was virtually impossible for hikers to get here, and other more appealing summits usually called them away. This place was where he cleared his thoughts, it was his sanctuary.

Everybody has secrets. Everybody lies. Everybody has things that they kept to themselves. 'It's personal' or 'none of your business' are just a few ways of conveying that to another person. I had my fair share of less pleasant ways of keeping my secrets, and I wasn't proud of that either. Truth be told, most secrets are linked to fear. The fear can be related to many things. Fear something will happen if your secret gets out, or someone will get hurt. Fear someone will hurt _you_.

Fear of rejection.

Of humiliation.

Dylan had been through a lot in his human life. Enough to make him cautious in immortality. Rosalie told me that there was a change in him since I'd arrived. That it was miraculous, that before his progress had been slow, that he had always been the most distant. I guessed now that some things were just as hard for him as they were for me. Like sharing this spot with me.

I leaned over and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." I breathed, "For showing me this place. It's beautiful."

He pulled me into his lap with a throaty chuckle, "I'm glad you appreciate its beauty like I do."

I nodded once and then contently remained in his embrace silently.

"You know…" He said slowly after a while, "If this thing with the Volturi goes down bad…"

"Dylan," I muttered, "Can we not talk about that?"

"Just, hear me out." He said, "If things go bad, we need to trust each other."

I blinked, "I trust you guys."

"_All_ of us." He clarified.

I deflated visibly, "So much for happy small talk." I muttered.

"It's been… bothering me. For a while." He shook his head slightly.

"I can't." I choked out, "How can I trust him?"

"He was scared Rebecca. Yes, that makes him a coward, but now… all he wants is to make good from that mistake. You have to give him a chance." He said seriously.

"But…"

"Everyone deserves a chance. I got one. I know it hurts… I know what he did was terrible. Believe me, I wanted to kill him for what he did." He said seriously, "But, I can also see how much he wants a chance to make things right. We can't stand together and face the Volturi divided… they'll know. They'll use it. So… please?" He asked me, and for a moment I was hard pressed to even think anything contradicting him.

"I just… I just…" I stammered incoherently.

"Please." He pleaded, "For me?"

I felt tears well up in my eyes and pressed my face against my knees. I felt very small suddenly. Like a little child. Yes, physically I could fake the smile and say the words… physically I could always say whatever I needed. But this ran deeper. This was asking for a real… emotional thing. For me to figure out my feelings, accept then _dismiss_ them. I could only do one at a time. It was like hitting a mental wall, except emotional. Like your mind can't process what you're heart is feeling.

"Oh, Becca," I heard him mutter softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" He wrapped his arms around my torso and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"I can't… I don't… I don't know what I _feel_, or how I should feel." I breathed into my knees.

"It's alright, give it time. You've done so well Rebecca, I believe in you." He whispered, burying his face in my hair.

I twined my hands in my hair and fought the tears that threatened to spill over. "I… I _want_ to forgive him but I can't imagine how to do it. It's like I can't move inside my own thoughts." I felt scared.

Not scared for my life.

Not apprehensive.

Not cornered.

Not aggressive.

But scared. Like an eight year old girl confronted with a spider, or a walk home in the dark.

"It's okay." Dylan muttered, curling me into his chest, "You know what the right thing is, I know you do, but there's a lot for you to sort through. There's a lot of emotion mixed up in forgiving someone Bex."

"I want to…" I whispered. "I want to be friends with him again."

Dylan looked at me with the smallest and softest of smiles.

"He was… my only friend. It hurts to block him out."

"You know how to make it stop." Dylan said seriously, his hand caressing my cheek.

I nodded slowly. I was going to talk to Garrett.

I took a deep breath and let myself relax slightly. Then, I glanced up at Dylan, "You know…" I said slowly, "You suck at first-date small talk."

He blinked then barked out a short laugh, "Sorry 'bout that but most first dates usually aren't followed by a visit from the Volturi."

"Says you." I chuckled, wiping my eyes off.

**Tadaaa! Yeah, hate to say it but since ski season kicked up updates are gonna have gaps. Good news? Had my first race already!**

**Thank you very much to all my patient and wonderful reviewers:**

**Chaquetaqua- Thank you ver much for your kind words and compliments to my story, I'm glad you like it!**

**JandMBooklovers- She will, I promise! :D**

**Sevendfred4ever- Ahahaha, thank you! I'm glad you found it funny and you like Dylan and Rebecca, and no it's not weird, I LOVE HARRY POTTER too, more so than Twilight actually, but I just can't right a fan-fic for it, it gives me a headache! :)**

**Arocora- Thanks! And yeah, I guess the relationships between Rebecca and Kate and Garrett and Rebecca are gonna change, I haven't figured it out though…**

**Sand n' Sable- I love that you always review! How did I get so lucky with such faithful reviewers? You're really great, and I'm glad you're not afraid to give me constructive criticism because it had actually really helped my improve the story!**


	34. Chapter 33 Conflicted

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

**Chapter 33- Conflicted**

**Rebecca POV-**

"You have no idea… how sorry I am."

"I think I do…really, I mean… I feel awful for," I took a deep breath, "For being so cruel to you."

"It wasn't uncalled for." Garrett grimaced as he spoke.

"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is…" I looked at the floor, which felt wrong. It felt like avoidance. I glanced up and saw his amber eyes looking back at me. It amused me that he'd tried hunting animals because Kate asked. He was willing to change for her, which was nice. He really was a good guy, honest and caring. "I forgive you."

His eyes lit up like sunlight breaking through the clouds. Then he dashed forward and immediately hugged me so tightly my breath rushed out of my lungs.

"Rebecca, thank you, thank you. I've missed being friends, being able to talk with you, you curious little creature." He laughed in my ear.

I chuckled slightly, "You always were overly enthusiastic."

"I missed you Italy." He smiled sincerely.

"Missed you to Garrett." I said and punched his shoulder lightly.

What an amazing feeling. So simply, I had my best friend back.

"Hey, look, snow!" Garrett burst out suddenly, and I laughed at his inability to focus. He quickly slid the window open and clambered onto the windowsill. Always the gentleman, he offered me his hand and we both leapt out the window, into the chilly winter air. Garrett gazed at the falling snow while I attempted to catch a flake on my tongue. I know, every kid has done it. Accept me, I'd never caught a snowflake on my tongue before.

And I caught one, it melted almost instantly on my tongue dissolving into water.

It felt almost easier to breathe.

"So," Garrett asked, scraping some snow in her hand, "do you have anything planned for Christmas?"

The snow I was holding slid out of my hands. "Oh… _cazzo_. When is it?"

"Mmm… two days." Garrett said, his eyes searching the evening sky.

"Oh." I muttered. My family, human family, had been very religious. I was raised Catholic, but now I wasn't exactly sure what to believe. Christmas had always been a sort of conflicting date for me. It was about God, about Christ… and how they were saviors. But, if God was real and his son was the savior of mankind… then what was I to them?

Was I damned?

Did they hate me, forget about me? When I died, would I go to hell? Or would they laugh at me first?

Perhaps though, for the first time in a while I didn't think of the convictions God may have for me when I thought of Christmas. I thought of the second chance I got, the opportunities I was given. So much of it I never thought I could do. My mother's cross felt warm against my skin just thinking about all that I'd pushed through to get here. Trials, all trials. But I made it, didn't I? And I've found the things I never thought to look for, the things I never thought I needed.

Perhaps that was God's doing.

Perhaps it was dumb luck, or maybe there was some other form of power in play, perhaps it was fate.

Whatever the reasons, this Christmas I found myself simply being grateful. For my life, for my chance to start over, for Dylan, and for my new family. I was thankful to find my mother again, and answer the questions about my father. If God existed, maybe that was him telling me… telling me that I _could_ be forgiven. That I wasn't the monster who I'd been raised to be.

"I have something in mind." I said softly.

"Well that's good." Garrett mused, "I can't think of what to get Kate."

I smiled at him slowly, he loved Kate. Of course he loved her, they were absolutely perfect for each other.

"I think she'd be happy with just about anything you gave her. It's the thought that counts, especially for Kate." I chuckled, Garrett blinked with a dumbstruck look on his face.

"You think?"

"Oh, I know, trust me. I may not know much about emotions, but what I do pride myself on is my ability to read people. She absolutely adores you." I said seriously.

Garrett paused and his bore very deeply into mine, "How can you say that?" He asked me.

"What?" I asked, confused, "It's obvious… Kate-"

"No, not that," He cut me off, "How can you say you don't know anything about emotions?"

"Well…" I didn't exactly have an answer, Garrett sighed in exasperation.

"Come on, Italy, you know more about emotions than most people. You've experienced them but you lock them away and categorize them for as distant a point of view as you can. Except here. I can see the difference, when you're with the Cullens. You treat them like family, and you light up around Dylan. How can you say that about yourself…?"

I glanced from him to the ground, and back to him, "I… I never thought about it much…" I muttered, "I just, I'd been ignoring them for so long that when I stopped… ignoring my emotions, I guess I didn't really… think it would change me."

"Only for the better." Garrett teased with a smile. I smiled back slightly, but some part of me, beneath the surface, was worried. I was happier, yes, I knew I was. But why in my speech did I still distance myself? Was it because of Garrett? Perhaps because I'd shared memories of the past with him, before I'd met Dylan and things started to change.

Garrett hugged me and I looked up to see that it had stopped snowing.

"I really did miss you." He sighed.

"I know, and I missed you too." I muttered.

"What will you do when the Volturi come, Bex?" Garrett asked, "You'll have to face them… all of them."

I swallowed hard, my throat feeling tight, "I don't know. I'll stand by the Cullens, but I don't know that I can make a witness. I miss Felix… so much, and Heidi, and Jane and Alec… but I can't go back there." I whispered closing my eyes shut and clenching my fists, "I just can't."

"You won't. We won't let it happen." Garrett assured me.

"Yeah." I muttered, not sure whether or not I fully believed it.

"Snow's melting." Garrett noted.

"That means we have some time until they arrive, at least." I sighed, anxiously jamming my hands in my pocket.

By the time the sun went down, all the witnesses were back and gathered in the house. Back from _hunting_. People hunting mostly. Which caused my oh-so-good mood to drop a little. Because all of them, with bright red eyes, an smelling like fresh human blood… was really starting to get to me.

I sat down in an armchair in the corner, frowning at the general milling and conversing vampires. Dylan, Emmett, and Rose walked in a few minutes later, with eyes the color of molten gold. I found that color extremely comforting for some reason. As soon as I saw Dylan, laughing and smiling with his brothers, I wanted to walk over and hug him, say hi. But I felt so stiff and tired, which was unusual for me.

My eyelids drooped a little.

"Hey, angel." Dylan whispered as he walked over, and kissed my temple, "Tired?"

"Sore." I muttered lowly, my throat tightening as I spoke. My breath caught as I exhaled, which made my cough into my shoulder.

Dylan frowned, concerned. "You okay, Bex?"

"Yeah," I replied quickly, "yeah I'm fine."

The glimmer to his eyes seemed to die out, "Your eyes…" His voice was laced with worry as he traced lines under my eyes. "… they're darker."

I startled slightly, remembering what happened last time. How I nearly attacked Bella… "What do you mean?"

"Black. You're eyes are black." He said with concern.

"I'm fine." I muttered, maybe I could make it go away.

"Does your throat hurt?" He asked quietly, kneeling down next to me and speaking quietly, eyes flickering towards the others. He was purposely keeping his voice low so no one else would hear.

I glowered at the wall opposite me, "No." I muttered.

"Ignoring it won't make it go away Bex," He said lowly, "I can see it in your _eyes_."

"And what exactly do you suggest I do?" I murmured.

He grimaced, "You won't like my solution, but it is far more preferable than other options."

"I'm. Not. A. Vampire." I hissed out lowly. Dylan's shoulders dropped and he looked away, tilting his head slightly as though I had slapped him. "That's not what I meant." I said quickly, "Really, I mean… it's just that I feel like if I… if I… h-hunt or end up a vampire then… they'll find me." I finished quietly.

"They'll never touch you." Dylan growled sharply.

I smiled slightly, "I believe you, and _in_ you, Dylan. But, you can understand why I want to avoid h-… hunting, can't you?"

"Yeah." Dylan nodded, "But you're still stubborn, and it's still a bad idea." He rolled his eyes.

I laughed, but as soon as I inhaled, my throat burned. It was like lighting a fire. I coughed and reeled a little in my chair. My chin dropped down to my chest and my left hand tried to smother the fire from the outside.

"Hey," Emmett walked over, "cat got your tongue, Bex?"

I glanced up at him and immediately wished I hadn't. I could practically see the reflection of my onyx irises in his golden was. His eyes widened and he froze mid-step.

"The hell…?" He muttered, eyes staring at my eyes. I looked away quickly.

"We're dealing with it." Dylan hissed shortly.

"Dude, her eyes are blacker than yours turn after month long gaps!" Emmett hissed back.

"It's her decision." Dylan grumbled.

"She needs to hunt!" Emmett practically yelled.

Almost everyone turned around and looked at me. Oh god, I wanna drop through the floor, please!

"Emmett," Carlisle said, "Dylan, Rebecca." He motioned for us to follow him with an uneasy gaze cast at me. We followed him to his office, he didn't look mad, just worried, "Please, explain." He said very quietly.

"SHE'S-" Emmett started loudly.

"_Quietly!"_ Carlisle cut him off.

Dylan ground his teeth together angrily, "It's completely her decision, you can't force her to do anything that she doesn't want to do! That's… that's twisted! For all we know it could pass just like last time." He whispered with an edge to his voice.

"Have you lost it?" Emmett hissed back, "_It could pass?_ Yeah, and if it doesn't, last time it took three of us to _hold her down_ until it passed and she flipped all of us around like we were rag dolls!" Though he was whispering, he might as well have been shouting for how furious he sounded.

My eyes started watering, I knew Emmett thought of himself as the 'protector' of this house but… it hurt, still.

"Emmett, calm down." Carlisle cut in, but neither of them seemed to be listening.

"It happens to the best of us." Dylan ground out, angling his stance so he stood slightly between Emmett and myself. I couldn't watch their angered faces and looked at my shoes.

"Well the 'best of us' go out and hunt regularly," I heard Emmett retaliate, "And in case you didn't remember, the only _hunting_ she's _done_ is _humans._"

'_Please… please, could you… call an ambulance… please?'_

_His skin was slick with crimson nectar. The pain was a sign, a punishment like whipping a horse for disobedience, that I ought not to be tempted. But the _want_… was… overpowering…_

I covered my mouth in a poor attempt to keep the choking, horrified sobbing noise that same out. Tears spilled over onto my cheeks. I felt like I'd just been sucker punched in the stomach, like I was going to be sick. Dizziness was almost immediate.

Dylan snarled loudly.

"_Enough!_" Carlisle practically shouted, which part of my brain noticed was unusual, but I didn't really hear him. My mind was swirling. "Neither of you has explained the situation or has done anything to help." He put his hand on my shoulder, "Rebecca, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Emmett, apologize."

Emmett seemed to realize that he'd forgotten I was in the room and stiffened. "Oh…" He managed, "Oh god, I'm sorry Rebecca, I didn't mean to…"

Dylan glowered so harshly at Emmett that he cringed slightly. By the time I looked up he was already at my side, wrapping his arms around me in a comforting effort. I whimpered almost silently and clung to him. I still marveled at how quickly he'd forgiven what I'd done.

"It's okay," He whispered gently, "It's okay, got it? Remember when I told you about my time in Denali, remember what you said?" He asked, rubbing circles on my back. I buried my face in his shoulder and nodded silently, I'd told him that because he felt guilty it meant he had a soul, it was proof, proof he wasn't a monster. "Well this is guilt." He murmured, and pulled back slightly, placing his hands on my shoulder, "and you are _not_, do you hear me? _Not,_ a monster. At all. It was a mistake, and accident caused by something… you can't control! The rest of us have had _years_ to learn how to control our thirst, but you'd never experienced thirst before. You can't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault." He said with a low and serious tone.

I didn't have a response for that. The pain in my stomach lessened at the thought, from a searing tear to a twinge, the solace of his arms seemed like security. Dylan was amazing, forgiving and compassionate, his unwavering loyalty made me feel like nothing violent had ever happened in my childhood.

"Bex, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean what I said." Emmett said quietly.

"S'okay." I muttered.

"So the argument is over whether or not Rebecca ought to hunt, is it not?" Carlisle sighed. My eyes flickered up to him immediately, he just seemed to know things.

"Yeah." I said quietly.

"She doesn't have to." Dylan hissed, "She's not fully a vampire, she shouldn't be forced to hunt. We don't even know if hunting would help her… or… or make her sick!" He argued furiously.

Emmett sighed, "Dylan, I don't think she should go _anywhere_ unless she hunts." He said calmly.

"Compared to vampire standards… of eye color, irritability, bruises under the eyes… I have to agree with Emmett." Carlisle said, "I agree with you that it is a delicate situation, but perhaps not hunting would actually exhaust her and make her _more_ ill." He offered to Dylan.

"Doesn't she get a say in this?" He muttered bitterly, like a child loosing an argument.

"Have you given her a chance to speak?" Carlisle asked calmly, he looked back at me with eyes of kindness and slight fatigue.

"I…" My words stuck to my tongue, "I don't… know what exactly… to think." I stammered, "I'm not well taught… in what's normal with… vampire health."

"Understandably." Carlisle nodded. He glanced between Emmett and Dylan, "For the safety of the humans in town… it is my belief that she should try to hunt. You _both_ go with her.

"I-… uh, okay." I muttered, trying not to let myself puke. My head was spinning like a child's top.

"You'll be fine, I promise." Dylan muttered, kissing my forehead, but I could hear the tense edge in his voice.

I was trembling head to toe as I settled down on my bed, my eyes searching at the open closet. What does one wear to… _hunt_?

I'm going to puke.

With a low growl, I snagged a pair of khaki shorts I used for my harder hiking days during my trek across the continent, and a black cotton tee-shirt. Of course, sneakers… oh god, I'm over-thinking everything! I groaned and flopped onto the carpeted floor. _Kill me… kill me now…_

I loved animals! Love them, adore them! How could I bring myself to kill _bambi?_ Many people argue about the taint of humanity, and so called 'righteous killing', or ridding the earth of dangerous men but I defy you to show me how killing a defenseless animal advances human safety and progress. "Urrgghhh…" I hissed into the carpet. I hate William, fuck him. He sucks. _Haha, I made a joke!_ Sarcasm.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Go away." I grumbled, my voice distorted by the carpet.

I heard the knob turning, and turning, and someone sighing in frustration.

"Haha, it's locked." I huffed sarcastically.

"Rebecca," I heard Emmett start calmly. I glowered at the carpet fibers, still feeling slightly angry at him. "Open the door."

"No."

"We made a deal."

"I'll come out when I'm ready."

"_Now._"

"Eat shit." I snapped at him.

"You're acting like a _child_ Rebecca, open the door!" His tone hardened.

"Maybe that's because _I'm not as old as the rest of you_! I _am_ a child!"

"… I'm sorry." He said quietly, honestly.

"I believe _that_," I grumbled, "and I forgive you… now give me some time."

"Rose said you probably wouldn't leave unless I dragged you out, and Dylan won't do it 'cuz he loves you too much, so that leaves me…" He replied coolly.

"Esme will be _pissed_ if you break her door." I pointed out, rolling over on my back and crossing my arms over my chest, and my legs at the ankles. I glared at the ceiling.

"She'll forgive me, but why have me break it if you could just open it?" He questioned, trying to rationalize.

"Oh… because I'm very comfortable here on the floor."

"Rebecca…" He muttered, closer to a growl of frustration. I felt a cynical smile tug at my lips. "C'mon Bex," His voice softened, so much so that it sounded like Felix… which absolutely floored me, "don't be so worried, we'll look after you. We're only trying to help."

He was grinning like he'd won the lottery when I opened the door.

"_Asino_." I grumbled irritably.

We headed to the back door through the kitchen, where Dylan took my hand and squeezed it.

"Are you ready?" He asked politely.

"No." I said quietly.

"Then let's go!" Emmett chuckled.

We ran back through familiar woods, veering north on paths that the Cullens themselves had created over the years. After minutes of running, through dense forestry, at my pace and not theirs, Dylan slowed, signaling for both Emmett and I to stop.

"Mountain lions, just ahead." He whispered back to Emmett.

Emmett sniffed at the air, "Hmm… north a bit, two of them." He chuckled and grinned like an idiot, "Too bad Eddie isn't here."

I tentatively sniffed at the passing breeze. A wonderful scent immediately overwhelmed my senses. Earthen, with hints of warmth and spice, the scent was appealing as the heart beat I heard. I inhaled deeply this time, closing my eyes and opening them slowly after that long breath.

Emmett stared at me with a childish pouting frown, "I like your eyes better purple, they look creepy black." He stated.

I saw Dylan roll his eyes.

"C'mon, they're moving." Dylan nodded to the north.

We tracked the two lions, until we were watching them form a short distance away. Dylan and Emmett stayed back a bit. They had already explained that they would not be hunting, as they were nervous about letting their instincts control them around me.

Dylan gave me a concerned look, "Let yourself go, listen to your instincts and let them take control." He advised me.

"Alright…" I breathed out slowly and then stalked closer to the lions. One was sleeping, lying in the sun peacefully, a female, while the male mountain lion walked back and forth on an outcrop of rock rising from the earth by a few feat. His paw hung lazily off the rocks.

I crouched and fixed my eyes on the male. The burning in my throat was absolutely undeniable, a fact that tore at my heart, but the fact that I was hunting the 'vegetarian' way did perhaps make things better. I allowed myself one feeling of sympathy for the lion before leaping from my position and lunging at the creature. As soon as my hands touched it's neck, I cleanly snapped it. So he would feel no pain, no suffering… not like the poor man I had brought an untimely death to.

The lion was still beneath my, and I hesitated, not unstoppably drawn to his neck, but drawn none the less. My hands stroked his fur once before I bit down. The blood was warm, thick as appropriate and the taste was mildly pleasing. The memory of a better taste burned in the back of my mind. After less than thirty seconds, the lion was finished.

I leaned back, seating on my heals and pursed my lips and the image of the majestic creature with a crooked neck and single slice through his jugular. A heavy sigh left my lungs, "_Anima eius fidelium defunctorum per Dei misericordiam…"_ I whispered, stroking his dark tan fur again. Though the burn was soothed, I felt remorseful, _"…et requiescant in pace_." I finished the Latin blessing that I used to perform whenever a creature who had died. It had become habit.

A sorrowful yowl from behind me startled me from my state. I turned, on my hands and twisted legs seeing the female hiss at me in fury for her mate.

Dylan stepped between the female and I quickly and crouched, hissing at the creature lowly. She shrank back and ran. He turned to look at me with sympathetic eyes, but also a look of softness in them. Emmett gave me a small smile of encouragement.

"How do you feel?" Dylan asked cautiously.

I slowly stood up, or I had intended to stand slowly. Rather, I moved much faster, smoother and with more grace than I usually did. My body felt _lighter_, like making myself stand was absolutely no effort at all. Emmett and Dylan both tensed recoiling a half-step each in surprise. I blinked, the world seemed to come directly into sharper focus, every single detail was visible. The veins of leaves, grains of dirt, minerals in the rocks at my feet, everything. Moreover, there was something it the air. It looked like a silver-clear-ish mist, floating in currents, upwards. It rose up from everything, except from Dylan and Emmett, or the lions. Everything natural, not living or… undead, I decided. Something flowing up from the earth, I gazed at in wonder.

"Rebecca…?" Dylan took a slow step forward.

"Do you see it?" I whispered, without tearing my gaze from the beautiful mist.

"Hahahahahaha!" Emmett doubled over in laughter, practically shaking the whole forest, "Dude, she's hallucinating! What if blood makes hybrids… high? Oh god man! That's so hysterical!" He laughed, smacking Dylan's shoulder, who promptly decked him in the jaw with an impatient growl. "Ow…" He grumbled, ribbing his chin.

I reached out to touch one of the silvery wisps, and before my hand even came into touch with it, it began to burn. A gentle orange flame, small and in the exact shape of the moving silver current. Curious, I reached out to hold it in my hand, as soon as the flame touched my fingertips, it shocked me.

Like an electric current, like dropping a hair-dryer in water, like an exploding light bulb or however you want to describe it, it was absolutely shocking and rather painful. I withdrew sharply, and the flame extinguished, the silvery mist along with it. My balance practically evaporated, and I landed on my butt in the dirt.

"Ouch." I muttered.

Dylan's cool hand held mine gently, "Let me see," He asked examining my hand. "Does it hurt?"

I shook my head slightly, "Not any more, it just stings." I admitted, in response he scowled slightly at nothing in particular and searched my hand for some kind of mark or bruise for about the third time.

"_That_ is why we shouldn't have done this in the first place." Dylan grumbled to himself.

"It helped." Emmett retorted.

"I'll be the judge of that." I said, rolling my eyes at the both of them, stumbling to my feet, "I feel like a ridiculous drunk." I muttered to myself, nearly tripping over my own feet as I took a step forward.

"What was that?" Emmett asked me, "The whole… turning air into fire creepy magic thing?"

"You think I know? You think the air randomly catches on fire then zaps me when I try to touch it normally? No, Emmett… I have no clue why that happened, or what it was." I said sarcastically, he was dense. He laughed as we started running back to the house.

"It could be your body's reaction to the mountain lion." Dylan offered.

"That's gross." I sighed. He smirked slightly and snickered. "Are you laughing at me, Cullen?" I demanded shortly.

He stopped abruptly, so I all but ran into him, and he had to catch me as I nearly fell over backwards. He smiled lazily, "Only if you think it's funny… Medachi." He chuckled.

"As a matter o' fact, I don't find it funny." I kept a straight face, he was holding me in place by my arms. His smile got bigger, a laughing spark lit up his eyes.

"Well I find it _hysterical_," He smirked, drawing out the word, "That I saw you take down a huge mountain lion, without getting a spot of dirt, forget blood, on you and then you think it's gross."

Smug bastard.

"Well, just because you're a messy eater and I'm not doesn't make me the weird one." I grumbled, my thoughts were getting progressively less coherent.

"I'm not a messy eater!" He feigned hurt.

I laughed shortly and wiped a tiny spot of red from the corner of his mouth. The little crimson speck was smeared across my thumb, "See?" I pointed out.

Dylan frowned. Quicker than I could stop him, he grabbed my hand in his and licked my thumb. "_DYLAN!"_ I all but shrieked, attempting to lean away but only succeeding in pulling us both over.

"Oops." He chuckled, hovering over me with his both his hands on either side of me, in the dirt. I scowled at him.

"You're gross."

"How so?" He chuckled again.

"_Licking my hand_," I said pointedly, "is gross."

He pursed his lips to keep from laughing until they turned white and I could see his eyebrows quivering. I sighed with slight exasperation.

"Oh… you've missed out on some many hunting stories." He smirked.

I laughed shortly, "Do I want to know?"

"Ah… well, possibly." He admitted slowly. "Maybe not."

"Why?" I asked, both curious and a tad worried.

"Emmett," He started, "and his practical jokes can go very far. Very far…" He frowned slightly.

"What, did he offend you?" Oh yeah, I was smirking, but he was dancing around some story that embarrassed him.

"Not offend," He smiled, leaning even closer to me, "More like… annoyed me to the point that I dyed all of his boxers bright pink. Rose was halfway through stripping him before she noticed, I'd never heard a scream like that before."

I laughed, hard enough that it made I sat up slightly to hold my stomach. My forehead bumped against his. Before I knew it, his lips were attacking mine. It was like being close to him caused a spark, and then he was… well, everywhere. He all but pinned me against the ground. He was being aggressive, and I wasn't complaining.

My hands twined tightly in his hair, his own were on my hips, tugging slightly on my belt-loops and pulling me closer gently. Nothing else in the world mattered, it was like every nerve in my body went haywire, and the only thing I could… _comprehend_, was his mouth on mine and his arms holding me. It's… a feeling of completion, I suppose, like suddenly there's a burst of joy and you realize that there was a part of your heart missing until that point. This man was amazing.

"Hey! Lovebirds, quit sucking face and get your tails over here!" I heard Emmett call.

We broke apart immediately, by mere inches. His hair tickled my face, both of us breathing raggedly. His answering smile had a trance like quality, as if he'd just woken up from sleep… and it was peaceful.

He laughed a low curse under his breath, "And he's one to talk…"

I laughed.

**I am so excited to announce that this story has officially passed the 100 review mark! I couldn't be happier, honestly. Thank you so much to all my reviewers for making this story one you follow, it's now the most successful of all the stories on the profile that I share with two friends.**

**This chapter was a bit difficult to write, as I feel I most likely reflected how I was feeling as I wrote it, which is unfortunately… extremely variable. So, present in this chapter is both sarcasm and wit, remorse and joy, uncommon for my writing but perhaps more realistic.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review as I adore your feedback!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**-Zeri **


	35. Chapter 34 Christmas

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.**

Chapter 34- Christmas

**Rebecca POV:**

"Rebecca?" His voice was quiet and gentle, the scent of cinnamon and rain-sodden earth hung in the air.

"Mm…." I managed through the haze of sleep.

"Merry Christmas."

"_Buon Natale."_ I replied with a smile, slowly rolling over and burying my face in his shoulder. He surprised me by gently pressing his lips to mine while I still had my eyes closed. It was perfectly sweet. His fingertips brushed across my cheek, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

I smiled against his lips as I rolled over, lying on my back and cupping his face in my hands. He pulled back just by a few inches, so I could see him beaming at me.

He cocked his head to one side and smiled, "Don't laugh at me." He said before pursing his lips, as if trying to get a handle on a word he was going to say, his brow puckered and he bit his lip once, "_Ti amo._" He said slowly, the minuscule French-Canadian twinge in his voice ringing twenty times as strong with the Italian words. I stared at him memorized. The way Italian sounded when he spoke was beautiful and natural, as it should be. It filled that little tiny missing piece in my heart, it reminded me of home. "Rebecca…?" His eyebrows knit together at my silence.

I threw my arms around his neck and flipped us over, so I was leaning over him, and kissed him fiercely. God, how I had missed the sound of my language. How could it sound so right on his lips? He was surprised at first but then slowly tangled his hands in my hair. When I ran out of breath, I pulled back, gasping, and he laughed breathlessly beneath me. His hands trailed down my back until they rested on my hips as I caught my breath.

"I should learn more Italian." He muttered with a smug grin.

I smiled and leaned in, the tip of my nose brushing against his neck. "Mmm…" I inhaled deeply, "You should."

I watched his eyes darken and my breath caught in my throat slightly. I moved to wiggle away but he caught me and flipped us back over, kissing me senseless. It was a while before we broke apart, both laughing this time.

"What a wonderful way to start the holiday." He whispered in my ear.

I hummed and snuggled closer to him, making him laugh again. "But I did mean what I said about starting the day," He said, "The family is all gathering downstairs and I really don't like the idea of Emmett having an excuse to come up here and get us."

I shuddered at that thought.

"Alright, alright, let me up." I sighed, and slid off my bed. I walked over to my closet and glowered at it. Overnight, Alice had redone it the very night before she left. "Is it too much to ask for my wardrobe to not be replaced every three days?" I growled lowly, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Well, it is Alice we're talking about." Dylan muttered, standing up and walking over to the dresser in the corner where he had moved some of his clothes to, I knew that he missed her though. We all missed her. He shuffled his feet as he pulled some clothes out of his drawer, as if he actually slept. It occurred to me that this was _my_ room and he had moved some of his stuff into it with my permission. Generally, I had thought these things work the other way around, that I would move into his room. But, Dylan explained his room had no bed and that I shouldn't feel like I was obligated to sleep in his room just because I wanted him laying next to me every night.

Of course… it was never like _that_, ever, but I found it difficult to sleep without his arms around me.

Finally, I picked out a light blue sweater that fit snuggly but was warm and stretchy, to go with a pair of black dress pants and black boots that Alice bought for me that I discovered suspiciously close to the pants. Grumbling to myself about my everlasting dislike of fashion, I slipped on the boots and threw my hair up in a high pony-tail. Alice had cut it for me just two weeks after arrived in Forks, so it wasn't down to my hips, but just long enough to cover my chest if I let it down. Alice, through giggles, called it hooker hair even though I pointed out that she'd just cut it shorter.

I paused, my hands still on the boot I pulled on, I missed Alice. I missed her a lot. Her and Jasper, the Cullen home felt less… complete without them. I sighed and Dylan noticed,

"You miss her too." He said quietly, not a question.

"She's overly enthusiastic… but a wonderful friend, and Jasper as well." I mused, sadly.

"She'll come back." Dylan stated, I turned and saw him leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest, hands clenched in fists, "They both will. Right after we show those bastards they're wrong." I could hear his teeth grind as he mentioned the Volturi. I hugged him, knowing the loss of two of his siblings was hard on him.

"Damn right," I murmured, "I owe them."

With that I stifled another yawn, walked out of my room and slid down the railing on the stairs.

"Merry Christmas!" Esme called as Emmett ambushed me in hug. "And… please stop sliding down that railing!" Esme chided me as an afterthought.

"Yes mom." I rolled my eyes with a smile, while trying to unwrap Emmett's arms from me.

She glowed at my comment, making me blush heavily as I shoved Emmett playfully. Rosalie hugged me as well, followed by Bella. Edward smiled at me, but seemed slightly reserved, most likely because it was him I'd been the most wary around.

"Oh, Merry Christmas to you too." I huffed and hugged him myself, making him jump slightly in surprise before returning my hug awkwardly.

And I felt pretty darn proud of myself for that.

"Becky!" Nessie ran out from around the corner smiling.

"Nessie!" I laughed, leaning down to pick her up in my arms. I twirled her around and tickled her stomach, "Are you having a nice Christmas?" I asked her.

"Uh-huh!" She giggled, "Mommy and Jakey made pancakes!"

"That sounds yummy." I smiled as I set her down.

"Not as yummy as candy-canes!" She laughed, twirling around the room before grabbing a candy-cane off a huge tree that was in the center of the room. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw it.

"Whoa." I breathed. "Why is there a tree in the middle of your living room?" I asked as Carlisle chuckled at my expression.

"It's a Christmas tree Rebecca, haven't you seen one before?" He asked me curiously.

"Ahm… no, I haven't. I mean, when I was really little and living in Valle Celeste, our house was too little to have a tree in, and the Volturi... were not exactly huge fans of celebration. Felix, Jane, Alec, Heidi and I had our own little… movie marathon and secret-Santa every Christmas but that was about it." I shrugged.

Emmett gawked at me, "Felix?"

"Yeah…" I said slowly, "why?"

"Felix, as in, huge-guy, all business, kind-of-crazy Felix Volturi played secret-Santa with sadistic-Jane, depressed-Alec and nut-job-Heidi?" He asked in disbelief. I stomped on his foot, "Ow!"

"He was a wonderful brother if you got to know him, they all were. Even Heidi, she was a wonderful role-model… except for the seducing humans to their death part." I muttered

"Well, besides that." Emmett scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, we had secret Santa's and Christmas movie night on Christmas, but that was all we ever did." I muttered impatiently, "Though… this tree looks rather nice with all of those silver and gold ornaments on it."

"Thanks, we decorated it last night." Rosalie smiled at me.

The entire home seemed to radiate warmth, even all witnesses seemed especially pleasant and happy.

"Rebecca?" Rosalie asked me as I leaned against the couch, sitting on the floor.

"Yeah?" I asked,

"I have something for you." She said warmly, with a smile.

"Oh, Rose, you didn't need to." I said quickly, feeling embarrassed.

"Shush, you're my sister so don't act like Bella does when I give her gifts." She chided me and sat down.

"I resent that." I heard Bella called.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and handed me a small box wrapped in colorful blue paper. Unwrapping it, I gasped at the beautiful red scarf folded into the box. The soft cloth was embroidered with swirling patterns like whirlwinds

"It's beautiful." I muttered, "Thank you… I wish I had something to give you."

Rosalie smiled, "Don't worry about it… but, you know, I have been wanting to here you play." She urged me.

"Oh… I uh, I haven't played in a while, and I really know more songs on guitar than I do violin." I babbled.

"Oh, just play something, we have a violin and a guitar!" She sighed.

"Uhh…"

"I'll play a song with you." Garrett volunteered, strolling into the room with a lazy grin.

"Yeah, play a song Italy!" Emmett clapped his hands loudly.

"O-okay." I said shakily, "Garrett… how do you feel about um… 'Half an Acre'?" I asked tentatively.

"Wonderful, would you like to play the violin or guitar part?" He asked over-theatrically., offering me his hand to stand up. He pulled me to my feet as I deliberated,

"Guitar, I think I could play Valleys of Athenry on violin later…" I mused,

"Hah! Back to those Celtic pieces!" He chuckled, elbowing me in the ribs.

Edward kindly gave us the use of his music room, providing Garrett and I with two stools. Most of the witnesses and all the Cullens packed into the small room to listen. I pursed my lips as I saw Dylan walk in, Emmett behind him, he smiled and winked at me, Emmett gave me a thumbs up.

"Well… seeing as I'm dirt broke and couldn't get most of you a Christmas present, I guess this is the best I could do." I said quietly, earning a chuckle from someone.

I strummed an opening note, and grimaced slightly, tweaking the strings to re-tune the instrument. Of course, Garrett's violin was wonderfully tuned due to the fact that it was tuned to vampire standards every day. I tried again, and was satisfied with the result.

_I am holding half an acre, torn from the map of Michigan,_

_And folded in this scrap of paper… is the land I grew up in…_

I sang the first line almost silently as Garrett played the first slow bars on the violin,

_Think of every town you've lived in,_

_Every room you lay your head,_

_And what is it that you remember?_

We both played a sweet, short harmony together before Garrett joined me for the chorus.

_Do you carry every sadness with you? _

_Every hour your heart is broken?_

_Every night the fear and darkness lay down with you._

He smiled at me and let me sing the next verse while slowly plucking a soft melody. To my surprise, Edward was seated at his piano and was playing the accompanying three-beat melody that wove in and out of the music with flourishing talent.

_A man is walking on the highway,_

_A woman stares out at the sea,_

_And light now is only just breaking…_

The chorus switched tempo, to a slightly quicker beat the moved up and down constantly like a wave. I closed my eyes as I softly strummed the wired strings of the instrument, letting the 'soul' of the song fill me up. It was beautiful, if one stopped to listen, and it touched my heart when I heard it the first time. It was so true… and perfect, it was about true sadness in life, and true perseverance.

_So we carry every sadness with us,_

_Every hour our hearts are breaking,_

_Every night the fear and darkness,_

_Lays down with us._

I smiled down at the ground, the lyrics were about a journey, a journey through winter. A journey where the singer finds that the purpose of journeying is not the destination but the experience along the way. Garrett played a long riff solo up to the last verse,

_But I am holding half an acre,_

_Torn from a mpa of Michigan,_

_I am carrying this scrap of paper,_

_That can crack the darkest sky right open,_

_Every burden taken from me,_

_Every night my heart unfolding, _

_My home…_

Home was here. Home would always be here.

There was light clapping, Dylan beamed at me. I traded instruments with Garrett, who then promptly went to sit down with the others. "Um… well, if Garrett hadn't taught me to how to play violin again… I wouldn't be doing this right now, so thanks." I said quietly, smiling at him. Kate patted his shoulder with approval.

Valleys of Athenry was a slower traditional Celtic song, and very holiday sounding. When I was finished, Dylan stood up and hugged me, before kissing me softly on the lips.

"That was wonderful." He whispered, "That first song… it was amazing, you're voice is wonderful."

"Thanks." I breathed, still embarrassed that Rosalie had convinced me to do it at all.

We all went downstairs, to relax and exchange gifts. Bella, Edward and Renesmee left to go see Charlie. I gave her a tiny silver Egyptian charm that I had bought at a market outside on Benjamin's village. She thought it was 'boo-ti-ful'. Unfortunately, I really only had three gifts. The charm for Renesmee, one for the Cullen family in general, and one for Dylan.

When all the excitement died down a bit, I took the opportunity to dart upstairs and snag my two gifts. Savel, who'd been lazily sleeping all day, woke up as I closed my door and started barking like mad. I chuckled and scooped her up in my arms.

"Aw, getting bigger aren't you, Sav?" I cooed in her fluffy ears. She must weigh at least sixty pounds now, maybe even seventy and was the size of a full grown Border Collie. She yipped and licked my face. "Gross…" I muttered, putting her down and wiping my face off, "love you to, pup."

I ran back down the stairs, Sav followed me and quickly curled into my lap when I sat back down on the floor. Dylan, Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme were seated in a semi-circle, Edward, Bella and Nessie had just gotten back and Jacob was with them. I leaned against Dylan's shoulder and smiled contently.

"Well… I never could land a job between getting chased over the entire world and trying to find you guys, so Christmas planning wasn't… on the top of my list, but I managed to pull some things together." I chuckled, pulling out the long cylindrical tube I stored my sketch in.

Emmett chuckled, "What, no gift shops in the woods of Albuquerque?"

"Not so much." I laughed dryly. "But I made this, as a sort of… 'thank you' to all you guys." I carefully pulled the cap off the tube. The edges of the paper were both semi-burned and crinkled, but the sketch remained intact.

"Incredible," Carlisle breathed as I unrolled it, It was almost six feet in length and two feet in width, "Is that…?"

"The ancient castle of Volterra, before a town was established there… and the castle was all above ground." I nodded, "I've seen both… paintings by the masters who had seen it, sketches by the Guard, and six years ago Corin created a virtual representation with a holographic program." I explained.

"Fantastic…" Carlisle managed, he was all but devouring the new information at his fingertips. The castle dominated the first portion of the sketch, I drew it very boldly, with stark contrast to the white background, as if one were looking up at it. Then, I used a fading effect to transition into my a desert scene,

"The Great Pyramids," Rosalie muttered in surprise, her fingertips tracing their shape. The sun was breaking between them, a sand storm had swept dunes against their sides. "They're beautiful."

"Much better in person," I smiled, "in color."

"I've only seen them once, very, very briefly. The one cloudy day in Egypt's history." She chuckled.

"Is that… India?" Edward asked, leaning forward as well.

"Yes, I didn't see the Taj Mahal per see, but I did explore a bit on my way there." The next section of the sketch was a line of four elephants walking in a cobbled-street, holding trunk-to-tail. I pointed to the next section, "And the coast of Maine," I said, tapping the lighthouse that I had drawn from the view of the boat, the railing was even in the sketch, "Crossing into Canada," A scene of breathtaking mountains and snow, that had caught my eye immediately, "And… the Olympic Peninsula, from an old freight train car." I pointed to the very last panel.

I had sketched the inside of a train car, the entire side open to the landscape as it whirled by. I specifically drew a mountain that was rounded on one side, almost a dome, and dropped into a sheer cliff into the ocean on the other.

"Mt. Ranier." Emmett recognized it immediately.

"That was the first thing I remembered seeing of Washington."

"Are those the wolves from La Push?" Jake asked, chiming in for the first time.

Mixed in on the bottoms and top were many different little details, one was a large white mother wolf, curled around a black pup with and growling, facing a rising sun.

"No…" I sighed sadly, "That was Savel's mother, she was killed by a hunter."

"Yeah, and you kicked that poor man's ass." Garrett chuckled.

" 'e deserved it." I sniffed.

"This is a very detailed sketch." Carlisle said, scanning it carefully.

"Thanks." I said awkwardly. "And uh… this," I pulled another box out from behind me, "is for you." I handed it to Dylan.

He smiled slightly, "Thank you." He said and kissed my forehead. Out of the small box he withdrew the velvet pouch, and gave me a quizzical look.

"Oh, just open it." I sighed.

He tilted the bag, and the necklace slid out onto his palm. The beads were smaller than marbles, and near perfectly round. Each had a different symbol from my village on it, since Valle Celeste had been founded in Roman times, the symbols of Roman culture survived.

A spear, a shield, a leaf, a vine, a cresting wave, an owl, a lion, mountains, a viper, and a bow and arrow. The centerpiece of the necklace was a small rectangular carved piece of stone. I had carefully carved a mountain lion standing on an outcrop of rock, on paw lifted, jaws open mid yowl with the tail curving around his body.

"In the village, when a child lived through their sixth winter, their family made them a necklace." I said quietly, not sure whether or not he liked it. The necklace hung rather straight around one's neck, and didn't dip, every single man in our village wore theirs till the day they died. After their eightieth birthday, a bead at the end was replaced with jade with the symbol carved in it. Each year they lived past eighty, they had another bead replaced.

"Traditionally, the necklaces are made from wood, and a bead per year replaced with jade once someone reaches the age of eighty. But, I decided something more durable than wood was important… so, Jacob taught me about wood whittling and I used obsidian instead." I babbled, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

"It's… amazing." Dylan managed , his eyes were wide, as if drinking it in.

I blushed furiously, "Th-thanks."

"No, thank you. It's perfect, I love it." He looked up and wrapped his arms around me in a sweet hug. His nose brushed my ear, "I love _you_." He breathed almost silently. He withdrew a small object from his pocket and slid it onto my index finger.

"It's a promise ring." He said, his eyes sparkling, "Call it a human tradition, by apparently it runs in my family. It represents a bond, a promise." He murmured and kissed my knuckles.

The ring was made of braided strands, two of platinum, one of gold. "Oh my gosh… it's… wow." I stammered, "Thank you."

He smiled and placed a soft kiss on my lips, "Merry Christmas, Rebecca."

It was my first Christmas in years, and it was perfect.

When the moon had risen, I fell asleep in Dylan's arms.

Everything was perfect, life in general was wonderful. I couldn't believe what I had done, considering how I lived now. Comfortably, safely, happily. Sometimes, Dylan could make it all seem like just on bad dream. But the looming threat of the Volturi began to make my stomach turn after Christmas as more and more snow storms threatened.

It turns out, the beginning of the end would come sooner than I thought. Relaxing by my window, trying to find my pajamas, I never expected it to start like that.

A simple slide backwards, my elbow bumping the beautiful red scarf Rosalie gave me… not exactly an intense or suspenseful sign of the end of my world.

**PAGE BREAK-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-**

**Sooo, yes it is an odd ending but partway through writing this I realized that if I didn't break it off hear this chapter would be way to long. I hope you liked this chapter, and thank you very much to all my new reviewers who have jumped on board! I'm happy you guys like the story!**

**In terms of plot, I'm sure most of you can guess where this is going. Something's gonna happen, then… BAM, Volturi time! But don't worry, I plan on spicing it up!**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE IT! Happy holidays!**

**Beware of open window's, they are the start of the apocalypse! No really, I knocked my honors English assignment out my window, it was a water-colored painting, and it fell into snow.**

**Water color paints + snow = melting snow, and completely ruined painting! :'(**

**Anyways, REVIEW PLEASE! As always, hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave your opinion.**

**~^Zeri^~**


	36. Chapter 35 Good Intentions

**Disclaimer:**

_**Dear Stephanie Meyer,**_

_**Sorry for any confusion… or any wild claims my profile-sisters have made (aka Akari and Chana) about who owns Twilight… but I know that you own it. I just write fan-fics about crazy pyro-maniacal teens who were in the Volturi. Apologies again for any misundertsnadings,**_

_**Sincerely, Zeri**_

**Sadly… I don't own Twilight, and neither do you unless you're SM, in which case… OMG HI! THANKS FOR READING!**

**Chapter 35- Good Intentions**

**Rebecca POV:**

"_Merda._" I cursed, as the scarf I had bumped with my elbow fluttered out of my window. I quickly slipped out of the window sill and started towards the first floor. I paused only briefly smiling to myself as I heard Dylan joking with Emmett. I ran outside and saw with slight annoyance that the scarf had just landed, on the far end of the backyard. I went to pick it up and froze as a cold wet substance slowly melted and dripped down my hand.

_Snow._

"_When, when will they be here, Alice?"_

"_Soon, there's snow on the ground, in the trees…_"

White flakes building in blankets, and a sweet smell masked by a strong evergreen scent. Masking! Ice coursed through my veins, the Volturi used strong scents to mask their own. My head spun, I'd thought about them coming for weeks, but… it still took me by surprise. It was surreal. Something moved in the dark shadows of trees not more than one-hundred yards away.

My heart skipped a beat. I turned, the scarf in hand, and bolted for the house.

Here! They were already here, I mentally cursed myself for stupidity. For years the trackers Demitri, Corin, Santiago, they'd done hundreds of missions like this. Mask their scent, move in silently and leave nothing left alive. I knew that if I wasn't already surrounded it was because the rest of the Guard were surrounding the house.

I made about three strides before I felt a stone-like arm wrap around my neck. My breath rushed out of my lungs as I was jerked to a sudden stop. With no oxygen to breath of start a fire, I did the only thing I could think to do in the split second before my mouth was covered.

I shrieked at the top of my lungs.

I heard a soft curse masked by a growl before everything went numb. My heart shattered, _Alec_. The brother I loved, the brother who was my rational voice, my brother was attacking me. All of the memories flashed in front of my mind, him trying to teach me how to speak Latin, the time we went to the movies and I got sick and he had to find a bag for me to puke in.

And now all I could do was wait for him to kill me. How could he do this? To me…?

Panic gripped me, seeping into my mind as wild possibilities spun through my thoughts. Everyone, every single person could be in danger. Dylan. My senses slowly returned and I felt my heart sinking. I smelled deep earth, and knew I was in a mine shaft… the one Dylan and Emmett had showed me that was many _miles_ from the Cullen household.

My eyesight returned with my hearing as well, though the only sound was my own heartbeat. I couldn't help the small groan of pain that escaped my lips, and I reached up to rub the back of my neck.

"Sorry." A voice behind my said. Startled, I whirled around, crouched low in a defensive position.

Felix.

Felix DioVani stood behind me, his hands behind his back, a frown etched into his features, his body language stiff. I leaned away from him, fear mounting, he was my brother. How could he…? I wouldn't be able to defend myself, attack… My brother, who had been the very one who set me free, why, why?

"_Bex… mi… mi spiace, mi spiace."_ He said with pain in his eyes, "_Mi spiace cosi."_ There was agony in his voice, as if he was being forced to do something that tortured him. I recoiled back in fear from his outstretched hand, my back hitting the wall of the mine. If Aro ordered him to kill me, he would have to do it. Aro was so harsh, if he found out that Felix freed me it would surely be Felix who he would make to kill me.

I cowered when he stepped forward, my heart thudding loudly. "_Non pichiarmi."_ I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut, praying he wouldn't hurt me. I heard him stepping forward and felt tears streaming down my cheeks, my own brother was going to betray me.

I'll miss you all, I thought silently, hoping they'd hear my prayers. I love you Dylan.

"Rebecca…" His voice was softer, I opened my eyes in time to be crushed in a desperate embrace. I could feel his chest heaving with shaking breaths, "_Non permettero, non mia sorellina._" He withdrew and looked me in the eyes, "Bex, I couldn't… I would _never…_ I love you." He choked out, uttering again mia sorellina, my baby sister.

Realization. He wasn't here to hurt me, nor was the rest of the Volturi here yet. I threw my arms around him tightly, feeling as though I had just been given everything I'd lost. "Felix," I breathed, burying my face in his cloak, desperately inhaling the scent I'd missed for years, "_Me sei mancato… tantissimo."_ I whispered as he stroked my hair. Oh god, I've missed him so much.

"You're safe," He said stepping back with a smile, "You're safe, I can't believe it, thank god. _Grazie a dio per quello_, thank god you're safe." He repeated over and over.

My smile faded, "I'm safe indeed, but for how long brother? I'm with the Cullen's, they are my family…" Tears welled again at the words I was about to say, they came out in the tiniest of whispers. "If you've come to warn me, to tell me to run… you're too late."

"Bex..."

"Don't make me choose Felix," I pleaded, looking away and speaking with a wavering voice, "Please Felix… don't do this to me. I… I can't handle this anymore, I've been torn to many times. So don't tell me to run, or try to make me choose. I've no strength left for that. Their my family, I've found my place and if it's to be my grave as well then I'll rest eternally knowing I've found peace."

Never had I spoken more difficult words to someone I loved.

He deflated, curling inward as if someone had attacked him physically, squeezing his eyes shut, "Then I suppose… I have come only to warn you of something I cannot change."

"We knew you were coming," I said sadly, "And… _I knew_ what it would mean."

"Yet you stayed," He murmured, stroking my cheek. He kissed my forehead lightly, "I-I can't bear to lose you Rebecca, please, you're my sister."

"And I love you, my brother, but I cannot leave them. Especially when they have committed no crime." I said sadly, seeing how this was tearing at him. He'd always been so sure of his path, loyal only to Aro. Now, he was being pulled apart, his love for me, and his loyalty to Aro that may ultimately kill his sister (me).

"I believe you," He said sincerely, "I believe with every fiber of my being that the Cullens are innocent, but that won't stop Aro anymore. He caught you're scent on his way here and… and… there's absolutely nothing any of us could do to get him to leave peacefully anymore, Bex."

I felt my lip tremble, "What… what do you mean?"

"He's not going to give up Rebecca, laws or not, he will make sure you're his." He said fiercely, "I suspect we'll rule you broke no laws, but that won't be the end of it! You were _his_, a member of the Guard bound to him for life by law in his mind and he'll use any leverage he needs to get you back. Please, Bex, he'll hurt you, torture you or any others to get to you."

"Others?" I gasped, horrified, "They'd attack Carlisle?"

"No," Felix said bitterly, "I've heard them talking, with Irina… and they'd… they'd attack your _mate._" He spit out the word angrily.

"Dylan." I sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes snapped up to mine with a dark expression.

"Who is he? This _mate_ of yours? Is that why you won't run, because he's forcing you to stay?" He demanded, hands tightly gripping my arms. "I see the scars! How could you call him you're mate, _how?_"

"Stop it!" I cut him off, trying to shake free of his grasp, "Just stop it!" I blinked back tears and glowered at him, his expression was one of shock, "I. _love._ Him. With my whole heart I love him! He saved me Felix, I'd be dead without him, and most likely by my own hand! The past two years were so miserable and torturous for me that when I got here I was absolutely lost and broken. If it weren't for him I would have most likely killed myself!" I spit out, for the first time saying the words that I had long since believed. "_He healed me_."

There was a long silence.

"I… I'm sorry, for assuming." Felix said quietly, releasing me, "I only want what's best for you, you have to understand that."

"I do," I said with a weak smile, "But… they wouldn't dare attack him, they have no legal reason according to the laws they've written."

"Aro… Rebecca, he'll do _anything_." Felix stressed.

I rubbed my temples and shook my head miserably, "Would… would Dylan survive? If it came to a fight, and Aro had them take me, would Dylan live?"

Felix sighed and patted my head, "I don't know. I would want him to live, especially now hearing how he's helped you, so if it were a fight, I would not attack him even if her attacked me. Perhaps I'd even help him, but I am not certain. But I promise that I won't personally attack the boy who's helped you."

"You have no idea." I murmured, "Thank you, for that assurance."

"It may be all I can do." He said bitterly, "I thought the guard maintained peace not destroyed it, and now I'm starting to see why so many of covens cower away from us instead of embracing us as their protectors."

I smiled sadly at him, "We are all fooled at some point, Felix. But it takes a much greater man to realize he was fooled and seek balance than it does to fool others."

"Then perhaps I've realized all this too late, and God is now writing my life's script like a dark comical tragedy." He muttered uneasily.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because," He looked at me with tortured pain in his eyes, "Either way the vote goes tomorrow, I'll be ordered with the rest of the Guard to attack you, and no matter how many times I play it over in my head I can't think of a way to stop it from happening." He fell to his knees in the dirt, desperately, "Please promise me you'll… leave a plan or a note for them just in case. If they come before Aro changes you I'll do everything, _anything_ to help them get past the Guard."

I hugged him tightly, "I'll leave a note, Dylan will find it if the worst happens."

"Heidi, Alec and I… we plan to mostly be defensive if it comes to a fight. But, what does this boy look like? I'd hate to be the one to spar with the boy you love." He said weakly.

My lips twitched into a small smile. "He'll be the one standing next to me, completely overprotective with black hair and a scowl towards anyone who so much as looks at me."

Felix laughed breathlessly once, "Sounds like I might've actually gotten along with him."

I nodded slowly, then paused, "Wait… Heidi and Alec… what about Jane?" I asked.

Felix refused to meet my eyes, "Your… departure devastated her… she's never handled emotions well Bex, and she just couldn't handle it. She… she's not the same, she's hateful. She blames you." He glanced up at me, "She's turned into the demon other believed her to be."

"Hey, I take offence to that!"

None other than Alec Giovarro dropped down into the mine shaft with a broad smile.

"Alec!" I ran over and hugged him fiercely, hearing him chuckle as he patted my head like I was only four years old again. He picked me up and spun me around several times before setting me down.

"You've grown quite a bit my dear." He commented.

"Ha!" Felix snorted, "Don't even get me started, I was nearly out to kill an innocent already today."

"So it's true then, you have a mate." Alec beamed at me, "Niccccce, didn't think ya' had it in you." He winked.

"Oh, you thought I was kidding?" I rolled my eyes at him, Alec had always found it fun to mock other's relationships.

He grabbed my hand and looked at it, "Well… I don't see a ring _Ms. Medachi_."

I blushed furiously, "We haven't know each other that long."

"Not long enough for him to propose?" Alec smirked.

"Hush!"

"So that's a no, no proposal?" He snickered and I smacked him.

"He better not have done anything stupid then." Felix growled, and I saw Alec's eyes visibly darken in anger, "If that boy is pushing you… I swear if he tries to sleep with you for his own benefit… I. kill. him." He growled.

"Felix!" I gasped out, "No, it's not like that! We're taking it slow. He does… I mean, he does sleep _with_ me," I heard furious snarls break from both of them and held up my hands, "Fully clothed! By my request, he just… lays there and keeps my company, he keep the nightmares away." I said the last part softly.

Alec rubbed his temples, "I wish we could have gone with you. This is the biggest mess in all of fucking vampire history."

"Alec, _zitto!_" Felix snapped harshly, giving him a hard look. I knew I was missing something.

"I wish you could have to Alec, but that would have been impossible." I said sadly.

Above ground, a long shrill whistle broke the otherwise quiet forest. Felix and Alec both stiffened immediately. Felix darted into a side tunnel and returned in the blink of a human eye, shoving a book into my hands.

"A complete transcription of Volturi law, you'll need it so _read quickly_. You have five hours." He said sternly.

I gaped, "Five hours before they assemble?"

He nodded gravely, "I'm afraid so."

"But… but Aro will see your thoughts! You'll be punished!" I cried out, horrified with the ill fate I'd just brought to my brothers.

Alec narrowed his eyes, "We'll be fine, Aro may be angry but the Guard won't attack both of us knowing we acted together. We're too valuable to him for him to destroy." He glowered off into space.

"I'm sorry Alec." I whispered hugging him gently. For the time I had known Alec, I always knew he dreamed of a life away from Volterra. Chelsea had stopped 'dosing' him with loyalty years ago, thinking that he was completely devoted. But inside he yearned, as did Felix, for his own life.

"It was our choice." He said stiffly, looking at his brother, "Under ridiculous circumstances, many years ago, but none the less all of us at some point accepted Aro's proposition. This is our punishment."

"I won't let it be yours too, if I can do _anything_ about it." Felix growled, "Now, go! Before they sniff us out and try to catch you. Warn the Cullens, brush up on law. If you can make it clear to our witnesses that this whole thing is a display of corruption and greed, you stand a fair chance." He said, a cold hard look in his eyes.

We stood at the base of the mine-shaft, and I turned back to face them one more time, "I love you, my brothers."

They nodded stiffly, with tiny flickers of smiles breaking through their masks of nervous tension. With that I quickly scaled the rock walls of the mine to open air.

I looked around once, for a few seconds absolutely lost in my memories, letting them fill me. And for one… I embraced them, I let them make me stronger. Then, I turned and followed then slowly fading scent of my brothers back to the Cullen household, the book my secret tucked against my chest. The snow was heavier now, several inches deep as I ran, _only five hours… five hours until my world will be decided by a vote_.

I'd come full circle it seemed, and now I was facing the past for what seemed like the last time. But not like before, this wasn't just one face. Everything would be gathered, the nomads I'd met along the way and the Volturi all in one place, all that was missing was William, I thought with a shudder.

A loud snap caught my attention and I skittered to a quick stop, book in hand.

"Bex!" I heard his voice call and let out a long sigh of relief as he swiftly wrapped me in his arms. His lips crashed against mine roughly, desperately, "I was so worried." He whispered fiercely, his forehead pressed against mine.

"I'm sorry." I muttered quietly, resting my head in the crook of his shoulder.

"It's alright," He sighed in relief, "so long as you're okay."

I pulled back, knowing this would be hard on everyone. He looked at me with questioning eyes, "I have bad news." I said quietly as the rest of the Cullen search-party and the witnesses caught up to us.

A slight breeze came from behind me, and Dylan stiffened.

"What the…?" He growled lowly, and his eyes raked the surrounding area, "Who?" He demanded.

"Felix and Alec." I said quietly, "They broke every rule Aro ever made for them to warn me."

Silence, Dylan was shocked and the rest of the Cullens bore similar floored expressions.

"We have less than five hours now until the Volturi assemble… I-I need some time to brush up on their laws." My throat began to clench, would I be able to tell him that I would most likely be taken from him forever? That Aro would destroy him to get to me…?

I worried he would do something irrational.

"Everyone back home." Carlisle said calmly, evenly. "Now." His voice was a little more strained as everyone turned.

"What happened?" Dylan whispered.

"They just wanted to warn me… they told me to run." I muttered, "I told them I couldn't, that my family was here."

"That's very brave of you." Carlisle said softly, a small glint of pride seemed to glow in his eyes.

"They told me that Aro wasn't exactly intending to stick to the laws. Despite what most of you think, there's actually hundreds of laws surrounding the way the Voltrui operate. But most of them restrict the way that the Voltrui act, to keep them from being cruel. My brothers have risked their lives to give me one of three full copies of Volturi Law." I said quietly.

"Why…?" Dylan asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Because. We have to take away Aro's white hat, beat him at his own game." I muttered.

Carlisle placed his hand on my shoulder gently, "If you want to, you can still leave. I'll take no personal offence." He offered.

I took a deep breath, "No. Believe me when I say a person can get too used to running, and I'm not going back to that. I _want_ to stay, Carlisle, I want to help you." I said steadily.

He pursed his lips before finally saying, "Let's get back, we don't have much time."

Dylan ran by my side, his expression reserved but nervous. I could see it in his eyes, he was scared. I could make out the small obsidian necklace around his neck, as he wore only a tee-shirt despite the cold. I held onto the book even tighter, it may be _my_ only hope. Renesmee's case would be much easier than mine, I realized. _I_ was the danger to them, the Volturi would press them harder because of me.

I made up my mind then and there, if I had to… I would give up everything to protect them.

I would trade my life for their safety, because my presence could put them in jeopardy. If that was the case, I saw the only option was to appease the Volturi myself.

I glanced at Dylan quickly, and felt my eyes prick with small tears, it would destroy him. But he would be alive.

When we arrived home, everyone seemed in a panic. Everyone was preparing for what they thought was the worst, saying goodbyes and weeping tearlessly.

We could never face them this way.

"Stop!" I cried out, "Everybody just stop it!"

I was met with silent stares of emptiness (though on a side-note I did see Kate curled into Garrett's lap), and I paused to gather my thoughts, "We have four and a half hours." I said steadily, murmurs circulated through the witnesses, "You _have_ to pull yourselves together." I said fiercely, "If we face the Volturi like this, the outcome you're grieving for right now is the one that will happen. Trust me, I was one of them." The last part came out softer.

Edward stood up slowly, Bella by his side looking torn apart, "What is that?" He asked carefully, gesturing to the book.

"A full transcription of Volturi law, from when it was written… 2015 BC." I said shakily, "_This_," I held the book out, "is my witness."

"No!" Dylan shouted suddenly, leaping to his feet. "No, no, no, _no,_ _NO_!" He ran over to me and all but ripped the book from my hands. I snatched it back quickly, surprised and shocked at his sudden action. "You are _not_ going to give a witness to _them_." He hissed, his eyes were black as pitch. I shifted uncomfortably under his angry gaze.

"I have to." I said stiffly.

"You're not the only one here who understands the laws of the Volturi!" He snarled lowly, "You'll get yourself killed!"

Eleazar spoke up quietly, "Dylan… Rebecca is right, even I have not read the full transcription, very few have."

"Then… someone else can read it!" He continued desperately.

I sighed and flipped the book open, showing him the pages. His eyes were so pained, so shattered that it actually hurt me when I saw the realization dawn on him.

"It's… it's written in…?"

"Latinium Italia. An ancient variation of Latin specific to Sicily, used only in scripture. So few were those who could read or write it, that it was only circulated for a handful of decades… which made it perfect for writing the Voltrui law. After 1080 B.C., any works in the language were destroyed, and teaching of it banned. It only survived through the Guard itself." I said softly, "I'm the only one here who can read it, Dylan."

"N-no, you can't." He stammered in utter disbelief, "You said it yourself that Aro would never give up, you'd be practically giving up!"

I said nothing.

"You planned it that way." He whispered.

"Not originally." I said quietly, "But… if that's what it takes to get them to walk away-"

"We won't let that happen." Emmett growled lowly, out of nowhere almost making me jump. He was practically trembling, his lips pulled back slightly over his teeth. He looked menacing. "You can say whatever you want to them, fine. But if they try to lay one finger on you and you don't protect yourself, I'll kill all of them and then _kick your ass_ too!" He hissed.

I smiled at him weakly, "I never said I wouldn't protect myself."

"Good." He grumbled, seeming to calm down, but the worry in Dylan's eyes had yet to clear. As soon as everything had settled and I retreated up to my room to read the manuscript, I heard a knock and turned to see him leaning against the door frame.

"You'd really do it." He asked hoarsely, "You'd give yourself up for us?"

I stared at my hands, "Dylan… I'd give up everything I have to keep you safe." My voice was a whisper.

His eyes burned as he squeezed them shut before blinking them open again, "I'll be perfectly fine, stop worrying about everyone else." He said softly, sitting down on the bed next to me and rubbing my back.

"I can't…" I whispered,

"Why?"

"I-I…" I turned to face him with tears threatening to spill over,

"I love you. I love all of you, I love them…" I muttered. "That's… I've never felt that way before. I mean, Felix and Alec… Heidi, but they were just three people and the rest of t-them, w-well we had to just pretend we were n-normal Guard for eveyt-thing else. I-I don't have to pretend around you guys." My words came out half-halting, in choking little sobs.

He sighed and cradled me against his chest, kissing my cheek. For a while I just cried, and he held me.

"Nothing bad is going to happen." He breathed into my ear after a while, "You know why?"

I shook my head slightly.

"Because…" He picked up the little leather-bound book, "You're going to rub their law in their faces, and they won't be able to touch you without breaking their own laws when you're through. And I'll rip them apart if they try… I'm sure Emmett would be more than willing to help as well."

I managed a weak laugh, taking the book in my hands. "This will take a while to read, by your standards of course." I warned him.

"I'm staying as long as you want me here." He said, smiling.

"I'd like that." I said softly, "Thank you."

He shrugged with a lazy grin, nuzzling his face against my neck, "S' the least I can do, angel." I was in awe at his ability to be so relaxed, but thankful none the less.

I felt my breathing speed up as I felt his lips graze my neck, I tensed slightly. He seemed not to notice, and continued to slowly massage my shoulders. _Oh my god…_ I thought after a minute or so, staring blankly at the first page, _he has magic fingers…_ I could feel almost every muscle in my back relaxing, but the rest of me was on edge. He lips were just under my jaw now.

"Dylan?" My voice came out in a tiny squeak.

"Mmm?" He murmured, kissing my throat, I felt my eyes roll back in my head slightly at the feeling of it.

"T-that's just a little distracting." My thoughts were semi-coherent, I heard him chuckle as he pulled back resettling so that his head merely rested on my shoulder while I read.

"Better?" He whispered, like we were passing notes in a library and someone would catch him talking.

"Much." I smiled and kissed his temple, then turned back to the book.

This would take a while.

But it would be worth it, I thought to myself, glancing at Dylan who was so relaxed I would have thought him sleeping, it would be very worth it. Even if it meant I had to face Aro again.

**Page Break_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-**

**Sorry for the long gap, I was busy with the holidays :)**

**I hope everyone enjoyed their break, unfortunately mine's already over. :l**

**So, this chapter… hmmm, chock full of stuff. I felt it necessary to re-build Rebecca's relationship with Alec and Felix, two of her closest brothers, **_**before**_** she met the rest of the Volturi. Also, due to my own personal feelings towards Jane, there will **_**not**_** be any… rebuilding. **

**That bit about Latinium Italia is not completely made-up, because during ancient Roman/Greco times, many cultures on the fringe of the central empire developed their own languages that were based on the language of the empire itself (ie Latin or Greek), so the concept is factual, the name of the language is not.**

**I found it difficult to write the last portion of this chapter… mostly because the way I imagined Dylan's character in it was variable, and I wasn't very consistent with what I wanted him to say or do. Therefore, if he seems off, I apologize, I had a headache. **

**Thank you very much to the people who reviewed the last chapter, I know it wasn't many of you, but it means a lot, especially when I know most of you are busy during the holidays.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, despite its hectic-ness! The Volturi themselves are up next (in the flesh! Lol, joke…), hang on to your hats people this could get a little crazy! :D**

**Please review!**

**-Zeri**


	37. Chapter 36 Full Circle

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own Twilight :( However, this original twist to the plot is original… I hope, so enjoy!**

**Chapter 36- Full Circle**

**Rebecca POV:**

My hands shook slightly as I laced my old black boots, they were worn… slightly burned and dirty, but they were comfortable and easy to maneuver in. My thoughts raced back to the last time I'd warn them around the Voltrui. It was… what seemed like years ago.

I pulled the loops of the bow to tight and the knot came undone.

A long sigh left me, I wiped my forehead with my sleeve. I quickly re-tied the knot and stood up, looking around my room. It was full of my stuff, jackets, shoes, my few possessions that had made it all the way to Washington with me…

I stared at the tall mirror in the corner, and saw my lavender eyes looking back at me. They were drawn to the abnormally artistic scar on my forearm, the calligraphic _'V'_ branded onto my skin. I looked around the room again, seeing the locket Heidi gave me for my eight birthday, Luke's sword, my tattered hiking backpack, Savel curled up on the corner of my bed, and the Volturi's Law Book.

I've come full circle, I thought to myself, rubbing the ring on my index finger.

I squeezed my eyes shut and focused hard on the candle that I knew was flickering on the bookshelf to my left. Electricity seared through my veins and leapt into my heart, when I opened my eyes, smoke drifted from the candle's vacant wick. I unfolded my palm and felt lips tug into a slight smirk at the little flickering light in my hand.

I was nervous, but I could hand le this, I assured myself.

I was wearing all black, as I used to wear every day, but I know found it fitting. The colors were serious, the clothing was comfortable and it moved as I did… a pair of loose black pants that had once been mountain-camo that I dyed black while I was in England, a plain black T-Shirt, and my black coat.

At least that was one thing that hadn't changed much.

I patted Savel's head gently. Jacob had agreed to watch her if… something happened. He had actually come to like my little wolf-pup, he found her funny. The first time she saw him in his wolf form, and smelled that he was the same, she barked and wagged her tail. Secretly, I think that Savel thinks that Jacob-wolf is her older brother.

Downstairs, everyone was just about prepared to leave. Dylan took my hand and squeezed it gently,

"Ready?" He asked softly. I quickly drank a 'smoothie' of fruits, vegetables and milk that Carlisle suggested would have enough protein, carbs, sugars and calories to keep my energy up for the entire day.

"As I'll ever be." I muttered.

The clearing itself was the same one the Cullens used to play baseball during stormy weather. It was larger than several football fields, and just as wide. The grass was now submerged in a thick layer of snow, six inches or so deep. Assembled in a fanned out line, we waited anxiously. I heard them long before I saw them, and I'm sure that the others heard them before I did. No matter how calm and prepared I thought I was, the sight of grey cloaks marching into view made me flinch and cower back a half-step.

"You're okay, I won't let them touch you." Dylan said soothingly, wrapping his arms around my torso. I wished Jasper was here. My heart was racing, I forced myself to take deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself. My nightmares flew before my eyes, but now they seemed much more real. Because the Volturi were _right there_.

"I'm okay." I whispered, swallowing hard… they were close enough for me to see their faces. Felix and Alec walked slightly off to the side, their eyes averted from Aro, Marcus and Cauis in the center, heads slightly bowed. I noticed that Felix's shoulder was crooked, as if had been forced out of place and barely contained a hiss.

My eyes then fell on Heidi, who looked as though she was searching for something. Her eyes then met mine and went wide. A relieved smile graced her lips, but her eyes were sad. I returned a tentative smile, but she quickly looked away. Jane was glaring at her with an expression I could only read as fury, and Demitri smirked openly next to her. I felt my lip curl back over my teeth slightly, their hostility seemed to me both unnecessary and misplaced. We were here because of Renesmee, not because of personal vendettas.

I watched as their ranks halted, and Aro scoured our own ranks, and seemed disappointed.

"He's disappointed Alice isn't here." Edward said through gritted teeth. "Alistar was right, they came to gather and conquer. They've had several plans in place from the beginning, none of which involve leaving Renesmee alive…" He glanced at me, "or Rebecca with us."

"Good thing it's not their choice." I growled lowly, and saw Bella tensing slowly, her muscles coiling with her building anger. Another growl of mine echoed hers.

"What are they doing now?" She demanded,

"They're not sure how to proceed. They're weighing options, choosing targets- me, of course, you, Eleazar, Tanya. Marcus is reading the strength in our ties to each other, looking for weak points. The Romains presence… irritates them. They're worried about the faces they don't recognize- Zafrina and Senna especially- and the wolves naturally. They haven't been outnumbered in millennia. Naturally, they are also aggravated by your presence among us, Rebecca." His lips twitched slightly.

Outnumbered, I mused. Interesting, I knew how uncomfortable that must be for Aro.

"Outnumbered?" Tanya whispered incredulously, gazing over the rows upon rows of witnesses.

"They don't count their witnesses." Edward said quickly,

"Because their witnesses won't fight for them. They are… like a jury, but have little power over the final decision. They're mostly for show." I explained to her.

"Should I speak?" Carlisle asked after a pause.

Edward hesitated, I gave him a discrete nod, "This is the only chance you'll get." He said.

Carlisle let out a breath and stood up straighter, like a warrior walking to the lion's den and took several long strides forward. Smartly, he held his arms wide with palms up in a universally peaceful gesture, and spoke clearly, "Aro, my old friend," I saw Aro's eyes twitch slightly, he had yet to see me though he knew I was here and was focused on Carlisle, "It's been centuries."

The entire guard was silent as Aro leaned forward with a skeptic expression. His eyes swept our ranks again and, like a lead weight, finally found me to rest upon. His frown deepened as he turned back to Carlisle, my hands started shaking. Aro stepped forward to the front of the Volturi formation, causing the ever-stressing Renata to worriedly flitter around behind him. Corin hissed at her in annoyance, as he was no doubt trying to focus on Carlisle… he was one-hundred-percent ready to attack, and waiting for a signal. I wished to be standing by Carlisle, protecting him from what I knew was the much more brutal side of the Guard.

Demitri, Corin, Renata and Santiago suddenly found themselves hissing at each other behind and around Aro. I felt my eyes go wide, _the guard never… argue._ They must be stressed, worried even. Aro caught my expression and knew precisely what I was thinking, his own eyes widened slightly in panic. I'd caught onto to his secret, the guard was not as stable as it once was.

"Peace." He said evenly, and the guard instantly straightened up out of their crouches. He faced Carlisle with a stony expression, "Fair words Carlisle, considering the army you've gathered to kill me, to kill me and my dear ones."

Carlisle held his hand out boldly, but peacefully with a diplomatic expression, "You have but to touch my hand to know that was never my intent."

A glint of delighted victory sparked through Aro's eyes, _here comes the accusations_, I thought, "It doesn't matter what your intent was, considering what you have done." He said solemnly, though I could see the almost predatory excitement in his eyes.

"I have not committed the crime you are here to punish me for." Carlisle remained respectful.

Aro paused, his head tilting slightly to one side in confusion, "Then step aside, dear friend. Truly, I would like nothing more than to spare your life today, but punishment must be given to those who have broken our laws."

"No one has broken the law, Aro," Carlisle said, I saw Caius lean forward with a scowl, "Let me explain."

"So many unnecessary laws that you make for yourself," Caius snapped impatiently, "Yet you break the _one_ law that defines us all. You see how this is ludicrous? Madness?" He demanded.

"The law was not broken." Carlisle repeated, but Caius cut him off.

"Lies!" He hissed, "We see the child!"

I ground my teeth, of the three masters, Caius had by far been my least favorite. Marcus was reserved, polite even when he wasn't busy acting depressed, and at least Aro feigned some sense of respect and integrity but… Caius was rude, harsh and downright annoying.

"She is not immortal! If you would just give me the opportunity to prove to you, to show to you-" Carlisle spoke with slight irritation.

"Then why have you amassed this army to protect her?" Caius demanded, "If you are truly innocent why have you prepared as though you were guilty?"

"Witnesses." Carlisle said evenly, "I have gathered witnesses, Caius, just as you have." He gestured to the horde of figures beside the guard who were slowly become irritable. To my utter shock, I managed to see a glimpse of two figures as the shuffled in the back row. One of a female with blond hair, the other a dark haired male.

Connie and Annalise Blitz.

"Or," Carlisle offered, "You could just look at her, see the blood in her cheeks, hear her heart beating in her chest."

Caius's nostrils flared in anger, "Artifice!" He snarled, "Where is the informer, bring her here!" He snapped with hostility, and his eyes found the huddling figure of Irina standing behind the wives. "You." He hissed, "Come. Here. Now."

But poor Irina seemed in a trance, and my heart went out to her. She seemed like a terrified rabbit a den of lions. Santiago impatiently shoved her forward, while her gaze was transfixed on her sisters, towards Caius. I saw him draw his hand back like a viper and angrily slap her across the face. Her gasp rang out at the same time as the twin indignant hisses of her sisters. She put one hand to her cheek and stared at Caius, in utter shock.

"C'mon," I whispered through my teeth, "Say something, defend yourself." I pleaded her to hear me though I dared not talk that loud. She was at the mercy of Caius's temper, and though the law forbade him from killing a messenger (I had just read it) I would not put it past him in this situation.

He pointed toward Renesmee, who was still on Bella's back, clinging to the fur of Jacob who was in wolf form. Bella tensed protectively for her child.

"This," Caius spit at Irina, "is the child you saw? The one who is _obviously_ more than human?" He demanded. Irina's expression was one of utter confusion as she struggled for words, "Well?" Caius pressed impatiently.

"I-I'm… I'm not sure." She stammered, trying to take in Renesmee who had obviously grown.

I thought Caius was going to strike her again but he did not, instead he forced her through stammering breathes to admit that the child had grown since she had last seen her. Caius was furious, and he bared his teeth at Irina, cutting off her speech and making her cower back. Aro stepped forward quickly, lips pursed.

"Be composed brother," He said, maintaining the image, "Now, child," His voice turned sickly sweet, I saw Irina relax under this false pre-tense, "Show me what you are trying to say."

And Irina touched his palm. I knew he would be quick, and indeed he took less than a few of my heartbeats to sort through Irina's thoughts. "Ah… I see now. You see Caius, it's just a simple matter of calmly getting what we want." He smiled at his 'brother' who replied with a low snarl, childishly turning his back to Irina. "It appears we have a mystery… the first memory was clearly that of an immortal child, but I see now that she has grown." His eyes twinkled with a curiosity I had come to fear.

"That's what I've been trying to explain." Carlisle said.

"I'd rather hear the story from someone closer to the child, more central to the story." He briefly licked his lips, "As I see the child clings to the young newborn mate of your son," Bella trembled with fury at his comment, "I presume that Edward is involved."

Bella froze, her expression a mix of shattered control, fear and terror. I quickly clung to Dylan's hand, knowing that the pain of having him speak alone to Aro would harm me, and that Bella was about to experience such pain, and anxiety. Edward's expression hardened as he kissed the forehead's of both his mate and daughter, before walking out to the center of the field. He clapped a hand on his father's back, and seeing the two of them alone out there made me shiver.

I heard Esme whimper in fear and felt my heart throb for her, her fear for her family was pure motherly love. My heart shot up to my throat as I saw Edward stepping closer to Aro and Jane smile sadistically. _She wouldn't_, I prayed she wouldn't. But Edward kept walking, and held his chin high, extending his hand as though Aro were receiving an honor. I admired his courage.

Jane was poised to attack as Aro stepped away from his personal guard Renata, to grasp Edward's hand. After less than a second Bella hissed in sudden frustration. Was she crazy? Did she not realize how delicate this situation was?

"Easy, Bella." Zafrina steadied her.

I waited tensely, feeling my nerves build to the same tempo as the rest of the guard, as we knew exactly the same that Aro never listened for this long. They began to murmur uneasily until Caius barked a sharp, "_Silenzio!"_

Instinctively, I pressed my lips together tightly and dropped my head infinitesimally.

"You see?" Edward said as Aro withdrew.

"Yes… you have given me much to ponder young friend." He gazed at Renesmee, breaking his stare briefly to glance at me. "Much to consider indeed… may I meet her?" He asked.

"What is the meaning of this?" Caius snapped.

"Peace. You think they have me fooled brother? That her scent and appearance is a ploy? Consider, briefly that the justice we came here to deliver is no longer necessary, that this magnificent creature is something never before seen." He said, voice thick with mystification, "Perhaps we were wrong in our seeking of justice," He then cast his gaze upon me again, and smiled, "or at least… most of it."

It was a threat.

I heard Dylan growl next to me and squeezed his hand reassuringly. Aro and Edward quickly decided that before Bella brought Renesmee to him to 'speak with', for the benefit of the nervous Renata, he should take two of his guard with him, and Bella two friends.

"Demitri, Felix," Aro snapped his fingers with a harsh glare in Felix's direction. Demitri was immediately at his side, chest out in pride with a aura of power about him. Felix hung his head slightly and seemed like a submissive dog who had just endured a lashing by its owner. My heart went out to my poor brother, and furious hiss escaped me as I put their two appearances together.

"What?" Dylan whispered.

"Demitri was given the… _honor_," I sneered, "The _assignment_ of punishing the one who defied Aro." My hands clenched into tight fists, nails digging into my palms, "He beat and tortured my brother."

Dylan's eyes widened slightly, "They… they do that to each other?"

"Quite often." I spit out through gritted teeth as I watched Jacob and Emmett join Bella. The guard seemed perturbed by the choice of our wolf friend.

"Interesting company you keep." Demitri remarked to Edward with narrowed eyes and an accusatory tone, to my pleasure Edward did not dignify him with a response.

Felix looked up and met my eyes with a tiny smile, "Hello again, Bella." He said, addressing her warmly. She seemed slightly taken aback, I'd informed her of what he'd done for me but I think she didn't expect him to be friendly. Felix had always been the most outgoing of the Volturi.

"Hello, Felix." She replied, and he complemented her with the tiniest flicker of a smirk, but he uncharacteristically did not follow this with a threat as he usually did, like _"A pity I'll have to rip you're new pretty head off your shoulders."_ He made no threats.

Meanwhile, Aro seemed intoxicated with Renesmee. It made me sick. He remarked to himself in awe about her heart, her scent, her appearance and requested to greet her.

"So exquisite," He breathed, "Hello, Renesmee."

"Hello, Aro." The wonderfully calm child replied, casing Caius to hiss impatiently.

"What is _it_?" He demanded. It. Not her, it. He was treating Renesmee the same way that he had treated and dealt with me what seemed like years ago.

"Half mortal, half immortal." Aro replied, then delightedly delved into an explanation. Caius replied with a hissed curse under his breath, "Patience," Aro scolded him like a child, only irritating him further, "I know you love justice, but consider the possibilities! So much to learn, so much to learn!" He was all but drunk off this new discovery.

Renesmee leaned forward and pressed her fingertips to Aro's face. I wanted to rip her away from the monster, but knew that would be the worst thing to do.

"I have no desire to harm your loved ones, dear Renesmee." Aro lied sweetly, and I saw those around me relax at his lie. I was accustomed to such mind tricks, and was not surprised when Maggie, who could sense non-truths, hissed furiously at this bold face lie.

"Let us deliberate." Marcus's wispy voice came from the lines of the Guard. Aro nodded, and instead of retreating, just waved the rest of the Volturi up to meet him, Bella, Edward, Renesmee, Emmett and Jacob retreated quickly back to our line.

"Holding up, Italy?" Emmett whispered casually with a smirk as he passed me. I rolled my eyes and smiled at him,

"As always."

I could not well hear their conversation, thought every other vampire could. Finally, I heard Caius raise his voice and cry out something about the wolves being children of the moon. Aro sighed and covered his face with his hand in embarrassment, Edward cleared his throat and I tried to suppress a hysterical laugh.

"Caius… it's the middle of the day. These are shape shifters, not Children of the Moon." Edward pointed out. Caius's embarrassment only fueled his anger further.

"You breed mutants here!" He spat, and then turned to glower so harshly at me that I heard both Dylan and Emmett growl, "And _you_, you _vile_ creature," He snarled, raising a finger to point. I saw Connie and Annalise's jaws drop in shock as they finally recognized me, "breaking your loyalties! Turning your back on those who raised you! You should have been thankful we allowed a creature such as you to live among us and not simply have killed you for sustenance, you imbecilic traitor! You are absolute garbage, nothing! Worse than an annoying human, how _dare_ you stand with _them, _defying you masters_?_" His teeth we barred.

I was slack-jawed, and had stumbled back a half-step in utter disbelief. Physical attacks I'd had much experience with, but this verbal attack was both unexpected and deeply wounding. He knew I'd always had my insecurities about what I was, and he prayed on them now gleefully.

"Enough, brother." Aro murmured quietly, turning Caius away, leaving me rooted to my spot with a pain throbbing in my chest.

"Where is the informant, I want to talk to her!" Caius snapped, now turning his gaze on Irina.

Irina's gaze was locked on her sisters in disbelief and guilt, knowing now she had been wrong and put her sisters lives in danger.

"Irina!" Caius snapped, seeming unhappy he had to stoop so low as to address her, he snapped his fingers and she stepped forward hesitantly, fearfully. "You were incorrect in your accusations." He said shortly.

"I-I'm s-sorry, I should've made sure of what I was seeing-" She stammered,

"Yes, yes, you've made a _mistake_," Caius interrupted her, "Is what I'm sure you're going to tell me. But rather, I believe you had other motivations, what were they?"

"W-what?" Irina spluttered.

"Oh," Caius grinned wickedly, "Come now, did you not loathe the wolves? They did after all kill your mate, and the Cullens would not let you avenge him. This must have upset you."

Don't say anything, I silently pleaded her, please, please he's tricking you!

"It did." She whispered.

"If you'd like to make a formal complaint against the… _shape-shifters_- and the Cullens for supporting their actions, now would be the time." He remarked patiently, waiting for Irina to continue pleading, waiting for her to give his next bit of information that he could turn against her. Like poison.

"No." She said firmly, holding her head up slightly, "I have no complaint against the wolves, or the Cullens. You came here to destroy an immortal child, and none exists. This is my mistake, and I take full responsibility for this." She said, then turned to face the guard, "I'm so sorry for this mess, there was no crime… and no valid reason for you to continue." She said with regret.

"No!" I cried out as I saw Caius smile in satisfaction, raising his hand and holding a small metal orb in his hand, the _Morte Segno_. The signal for death. Corin, Demitri, Santiago and Afton leapt forward in a blur, and Irina was lost in a swarm of grey cloaks. Gasps rang out from our line.

Caius stepped forward, the _Morte Segno_ in hand.

My heart skipped a beat as he clicked the tiny switch on the orb. Flames erupted in a shower of sparks.

"_Fermarti!"_ I shouted, raising my right hand into the air and closing my fist tightly. A jolt of electricity immediately shot from my fist down to my shoulder, connecting me to the fire spewing towards Irina… or the pieces of her.

And everything froze.

Corin and the other assassins had leapt away so as not to be burned, Caius still had the _Morte Segno_ in hand, fire exploding forward but only reaching a foot into the air before halting.

My air seared in pain, repressing fire was always my weakness, because the energy from the fire had to be channeled through _my_ body. The size of the fire I could repress depended on how much of the pain I could bear. I gritted my teeth, holding both my arms out slightly in front of me, so the burning energy was split between the two.

"What is the meaning of this?" Caius screeched, whirling to see what had gone wrong. His eyes darkened when he realized what I was doing, and he crouched like he would attack me himself. I felt my arms trembling, my heart speeding as energy I diverted into my body slammed through my veins like it could burst through my skin and re-ignite.

"You… _malfatorre cattiva e non vale niente_!" He shrieked at me while still holding the orb, fire still spewing from it. "Worthless wretch!"

"How is she doing that?" Kate whispered, I realized to some extent the two sisters were behind me with their hands on my shoulders, encouraging me, pleading. Their sister could be pieced back together from her state… she was still alive, but if she turned to ash there was no hope for her.

"Treason!" Caius snarled, "I'll have you-"

"Enough!" Aro shouted suddenly. "Stop, brother, you're anger is misplaced and your actions unnecessary."

Caius gritted his teeth and finally dropped the _Morte Segno_.

I gasped as the burning evaporated from my body, and my knees buckled. Kate and Tanya caught my, holding my by my arms and keeping me steady while Dylan stood beside me in worry, crouching protectively, aimed towards any who stepped forward.

"Brave," Aro murmured as I tried to regain my breath, my arms felt as though they had been liquefied, "Very brave indeed."

"_Emendamento quattordici,_" I gasped out, amendment 14 to the law. I recited it with ease, "If a witness bears evidence against a man or group, and this group is found innocent by the witness bearing a false testament then the group shall be found innocent because of a lack of evidence, and the bringer of this witness shall be released without punishment for their mistake as it is encouraged to inform the guard if one thinks a law is broken. From hereforth, it is forbidden to kill a witness no matter the grounds of their mistake. Breaking of this law will result in the killer being stripped of their rank among the guard." I breathed out, my hair falling in my face as I glowered defiantly at Aro.

He was silent.

"Would you really break your own laws, Aro? They were written to maintain peace and order so that tyranny may not be imposed on the innocent." I managed between gasps, my chest heaving.

"Caius acted irrationally," Aro finally muttered, shock written across his face, "It… is such an old law, I've almost forgotten…"

"Convenient you forget the laws that you write, isn't it?" I snapped at him harshly, "Forgetting the ones that keep you from force the result you want, so you can now silence any voice but your own."

Edward gripped my shoulder tightly, "Easy, Bex." He muttered. I shrugged myself gently out of Tanya and Kate's helpful support, and met Edward's eyes with a slight glower.

"They're manipulating their laws." I growled.

"Perhaps if we don't irritate them further they'll leave in peace then." He remarked calmly. I nodded solemnly and looked up to see the witnesses of the Volturi murmuring uncomfortably among themselves. Caius had been banking on Tanya and Kate attacking out of fury for their dead sister, but because I had prevented the fire the witnesses were left questioning what was really going on.

"Irina… is innocent of any crimes," Aro said, clearing his throat in obvious discomfort, "Thank you for… preventing Caius from committing a crime, Ms. Medachi." He added coolly. He then turned to Eleazar, "I am sorry for this misunderstanding, old comrade, Irina will be returned to you. She will heal."

Eleazar nodded stiffly.

"Perhaps for clarification on the situation at hand," He said, "we would like to speak with your witnesses, procedure you know. Keeping up with our laws."

Edward hissed, his fists clenching tightly and I groaned. I'd just given Aro a new strategy, stick exactly to his white-hate procedure, and slowly discount our witnesses one by one on ridiculous claims. Regardless of what was witnessed, we would still be found guilty.

Aro ghosted towards our line, stopping at the far west and ten yards from Amun and Kebi, the wolves bristled in aggravation.

"Ah, Amun, my southern neighbor!" He said pleasantly, "It's been so long since you've visited me."

Amun gulped and gave a small excuse, to which Aro countered that he knew that Amun was trying to hide Benjamin from him, then remarking it was 'pleasant' to see him again.

"But the reason you are here is not so pleasant is it? Carlisle called on you to witness?" Aro's voice was cold and lacked emotion.

Amun glanced at me, I knew that deep inside he was a lover of justice to. He was amazed that I had escaped the path of my siblings, and tried to make something positive of my life. His eyes darkened as he gazed at me, angered by what I had done to stop Caius, that I had been in pain. Though he would not admit it, Amun and I were friends.

"No, actually," He replied just as coldly, turning back to Aro, "Rebecca asked me."

"Oh? Interesting." Aro remarked, glancing at me, "And what… exactly did you witness, then?"

"I observed almost immediately that the child was not immortal, that she grew both physically and mentally, that she is intelligent and capable of learning."

"Yes, yes," Aro's tone was slightly impatient, "Be specific, in your few weeks here what did you see?"

"That she grows… quickly."

"And do you believe she should live?" Aro asked with a smile. Hisses rang out from our line, mine one of them, and even Volturi witnesses, Connie and Anna in particular looked livid.

Amun twitched uneasily, "I did not come here to make judgments, however," He paused when Aro chuckled quietly, "I see no danger in the child, she learns swifter than she grows… why further trample your laws and destroy innocent families?" He tacked on the last part with venom.

"I have offered my witness, as your _law_ states," Amun winked at me, "I'll now be leaving with my mate." He turned and disappeared into the trees.

"Of course." Aro murmured with a frown, he turned to another, "Siobhan, would you answer my question?"

"Yes, and perhaps a little more than Amun has. Renesmee understands limitations, she blends in better with humans than we do and she is no threat to them… nor does she threaten exposure of our kind."

Aro paced slightly, "No broken law," He spoke, "No broken law, but that does not mean no danger! The child is unique… it would be such a waste, a terrible waste to destroy something so lovely, but there _is_ danger. Danger that cannot simply be ignored. We cannot know exactly what she will grow to be, nor can we predict her potential. We cannot know with certainty, and this… _this_ is risk."

He turned to his own witnesses, "Only the known is safe, only the known is tolerable. The unknown is… a vulnerability. To us all."

"You're reaching, Aro." Carlisle said bleakly.

"I would like to offer a witness." Garrett stepped forward suddenly.

"Nomad," Aro nodded to him.

Garrett quickly dove into a speech, directed towards only the Voltrui witnesses. Pointing out that not only was no law broken by us, but the Volturi were breaking their own laws. "They have come to erase what they see as a threat! They come to break apart this coven, no, this family, with ill-justice and greed. This family is not seeking power like the large clans of the south. There is no thought for domination here, but love!"

He went on to a moving accusation against the Volturi's so called justice, and he sounded like a true revolutionary. When Aro pointed this out, he reeled indignantly, demanding to know if Aro thought that he was his 'king', if he should bow before Aro's feet and call him master as well.

One by one the Volturi's witnesses attested to our innocence and condemned the misguided actions of the Guard. Most then left, but Connie and Anna, surprising all of us remained.

"I have long disagreed with the actions of the guard," Connie said stubbornly, "and having personally been affected by their _tyranny_ and _oppressive reign_," His spit the words out like physical blows, "I believe that they have come here to conquer, not look for peace. The Volturi do not deserve to be the rulers they are now. They fancy themselves dictators, not peace-keepers." He growled.

"We will remain with the Cullens, and stand by them." Annalise said strongly, and they crossed the field together, leaving many among _our_ witnesses gaping.

"Hey, Becca." Anna nudged me with her elbow when she stopped by my side. I smiled at her brightly.

"Well then, it seems we have a decision to make." Aro muttered, turning to walk back to his guard.

"Wait." In a split-second decision I stepped forward, Aro turned with a coy smile on his face. He'd wanted me to do this, I thought, and I'll make him wish I hadn't. "I have a witness to give."

Dylan tensed at the same time that Caius snarled again.

"Step back, half-breed mutant! You're opinion is void!" Caius spat. Growls rang out from witnesses on both sides.

"I'll let her speak, brother." Aro said coolly, "My dear Rebecca…" He stepped towards me so he was he was only five yards away, "it's been quite a while. What happened to you?" He asked gently, with a smirk, pointing to his own cheek implying the scars on mine.

"Life." I said shortly, "But that is not what I am here to witness."

He smirked at me, toying with my nerves, "Oh, I suppose not. Of course you're now tied to the Cullens since you've gone and found yourself a mate." He glanced at Dylan. "Pity, really."

I stepped slightly in front of Dylan, "He has nothing to do with this, and since he has not spoken and bore _no_ witness, nor played _any part_ in this event besides standing by his family you'll understand he is completely innocent and therefore protected by your laws from attack." I said, narrowing my eyes. Aro matched my expression and answered coldly,

"Of course, my dear. What is your witness then?"

"My witness is that Renesmee is incredibly intelligent, she within three days of her birth could control her thirst better than Demitri has even been able to." I remarked casually, "Now, youths do not progress _backwards_, Aro, and she will not mysteriously become a crazed newborn. This I am certain of. What I am also certain of is your intentions here today."

Aro scowled.

"You've come here to destroy and collect, which violates at least three of your cardinal laws at once. Up until right now, you've only demonstrated that you are manipulative, cruel and cunning with a thirst for power. To me it seems obvious that Renesmee is not dangerous, what is unclear to me is why you are still here." I said smugly, folding my arms over my chest.

"You ought to tread more lightly, _Rebecca._" He said coldly. "Since you are so keen on the upholding of law, I was wondering if you had read the last section of our wonderful old book." He smiled, but it wasn't a kind smile, it was a predatory smile.

I could feel the blood draining from my face.

"T-that has nothing to do with the case at hand." My voice wavered traitorously. Edward who was no doubt reading Aro's thoughts hissed angrily.

"Aro, this is about proving my daughter is safe, not your personal vendettas!" He growled lowly.

"Amendment twenty, separate cases are to be tried separately, on separate dates with only the parties involved present." I recited quickly, thanking God for Felix and Alec, and for their gift to me.

"Amendment seventy-four, regarding treason." Aro shot back at me, "Treason, as defined by the breaking of loyalties without explanation or proper excuse, by a member of the Volturi Guard is a crime and hereforth an illegal act." He said smugly, "Treason is punishable by eternal service to the guard until or if death occurs."

I felt myself tremble slightly, "Amendment twenty takes precedence." I said quietly.

"Incorrect." Aro said softly, "My dear, you're confused. Laws regarding the actions of a guard member always take precedence when it is a member of the guard who committed a crime."

There was a long silence. I was dumb-struck. How had I overlooked that law? Of course Aro would remember _that_ one, I mentally kicked myself. No, this wasn't happening… this… it couldn't be, it just _couldn't_. I hadn't broken a law! _Cazzo!_

"So, you see," Aro retreated with a smile back to his ranks, "As far as I see it, we have no proof Renesmee is safe, and your witness is void because I find you in violation of our laws." I was about to object before he turned on me again, "Amendment thirteen! Before you protest, I would like to point out that this particular law states that any witness found in violation of any of the laws of the Volturi will have their testimony found void, and will be treated as hostile."

I felt my hands start to go numb.

Edward stiffened, and looked towards the woods. A wild grin broke out on his face, "What if I could tell you what Renesmee will be like years from now?" He asked suddenly,

Aro turned to him, "Then we would leave your family peacefully."

"And Rebecca?" Dylan asked sharply.

Aro gave him an odd look, "I may… consider a bit of leniency."

"Alice, why don't you join us?" Edward called out.

Alice?

Alice.

_Alice!_

Alice streaked out of the woods with two figures following behind her, and finally Jasper. The boy had a heartbeat. He was a hybrid.

His name was Nahuel, and he and his adoptive mother presented their story. Nahuel's mother had been seduced by a vampire, and was the exact same kind of hybrid as Renesmee.

"Fascinating…" Aro breathed.

"What is it _now?_" Caius spit,

"Truly, I see now. Young Renesmee will grow to be a fascinating creature, how wonderful." He smiled, "And then live an eternity with her family, exquisite."

Nahuel nodded stiffly, glancing around at our ranks, his expression contorting to confusion when he saw me.

"Is she… like _me?_" He mouthed to Alice, who was about to answer until Aro interrupted him.

"Not exactly," He smiled at Nahuel, "Both her parents were human, but her mother was bitten before giving birth to her, so the venom was frozen in her system part-way through a true change. She is relatively strong and fast, but has no vamparic thirst as you do, isn't that right, Rebecca?" He asked.

My heart skipped a beat before I lied, "Of course."

Aro paused, I flinched in fear, my heart beating rapidly, traitorously.

"Is there… something you're not telling me?" He asked slowly.

"It doesn't matter," Carlisle said smoothly, "It has nothing to do with the case at hand."

"Nonsense!" Aro said cheerfully, "Rebecca was like a daughter to me, I raised her and therefore I am concerned with how she grew."

Maggie snarled furiously, but I didn't need her to tell me he was lying.

"Come here, Rebecca." Aro said, Jasper, Alice, Nahuel and his adoptive mother looked at me with concerned eyes, still standing with Aro across the field.

I glanced at Carlisle in a panic, should I? He breathed a deep sigh of regret and nodded. We weren't in a position to argue with them or deny them. I turned to Dylan who looked like he was trying to contain his anger. His eyes were blazing, coal black. I pressed my lips against his gently, and his arms held me. It was far too short, but when he pulled back he placed his hands on either side of my face and said,

"I'm sorry. I… I feel like I've failed you."

I smiled at him weakly, "You haven't."

"I love you." He pressed his forehead against mine, closing his eyes tightly.

"_Ti amo."_ I replied and took a deep breath before stepping away from his embrace. It physically hurt to do so. I was five feet away from our line when I stopped and gritted my teeth. I can do this, I know how to. He _won't_ win. I'll do anything. I opened my eyes and glared out towards the Volturi assembly, sticking my chin out as I approached them.

"It's been a very long time, my dear." Aro said pleasantly.

"Not long enough." I said tightly.

"I believe… you turned seventeen in March?" He questioned me, and I nodded. "Well then, just more than a year and a half."

"Indeed." I muttered, rather irked by his constant small talk.

His lips twitched in another fake smile, he held out his hand. "May I?"

"Why are you even asking? You know I can really only give you one answer." I shot back, holding my hand out. My sleeve pulled away as I did so, the swirling burns on my hand threw the slight sunlight that broke the clouds around me. Aro hesitated for a moment, looking at the scars, before finally grasping my hand in his own.

His shoulders hunched in concentration…

And so it begun.

**Well, sorry for the long delay. I has a pretty bad crash during ski training and was told not to use a computer for a week. And since this was an important chapter I didn't want to write it half-brain-damaged. So, hope you guys can forgive me! Thanks to all my reviewers, my loyal followers and those who have just found this story. I'm glad you like it. Give me your feedback! Comments, constructive criticism or whatever.**

**Please review!**

**-Zeri**


	38. Chapter 37 Mortality

**Disclaimer: Well… I still don't own Twilight, sadly.**

**Chapter 37- Mortality**

**Rebecca POV-**

It's said that right before you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes.

Well, I don't know about that. What I do know is that when Aro touched my hand, like every other time before, every though I had ever had swirled up in my mind like a tornado. Memories, opinions, places, dates, actions, emotions, everything played out before his eyes at lightning speed. My entire life of thoughts flashing before my eyes at his touch.

I find this fittingly ironic.

After all, a meeting with the Volturi always has the possibility to end in death.

Though I was absolutely determined to not let Aro take advantage of me and kidnap me, there were certain things I knew as my limits, mainly Dylan or Renesmee being put in danger. Or actually, most of the Cullens. But a fight… an all out _fight_, instead of Demitri just holding Dylan by the neck, that didn't seem as bad. We outnumbered them. Connie and Anna were a bonus I hadn't been expecting, as well as Alice and of course Jasper, all excellent fighters. Then, Benjamin and I had been working with my gift, and I believed it to be stronger than it had ever been while I was in Italy.

And Aro now knew that so he must back down, I thought to myself.

He let go of my hand, and we both opened our eyes. To my both anger and irritation, I saw that thirst for power I was all to used to.

"Rebecca…" He started, sighing softly, "So many… things you've been through. Ah, and so close it was indeed, the human mind is a very fragile thing indeed. I'm rather surprised you survived at all!" He exclaimed, he reached forward and touched the side of my face with a look of curiosity. My scars tingled at the coolness of his hand. "But… at a price, at a terrible price."

"You know nothing of it." I muttered bitterly.

"You've become much more powerful," He said quietly, "and also… developed an affinity for human blood."

I growled lowly, "That's a lie. And you know it."

"Is it a lie to say you drank from a human then?" He challenged me, we were speaking so quietly I doubted that the Cullens could hear.

"That I don't deny," I forced through gritted teeth, speaking in Italian, "But I don't intend to let you hold it over my head and use it to your advantage. You want the truth, Aro? Well, truth is I am neither human nor vampire so I have a few _glitches_. Because there's this thing about different species not mixing that somehow got forgotten, and then, oh yeah, all those side effects of my genes not meshing, and my own DNA trying to destroy itself started popping up! So don't _expect_ me to act perfect, or normal by either vampire _or_ human standards. Because _I. am. neither._" I glowered at him harshly, my arms folded over my chest. "No more of your manipulation or games, no more trickery, we both know why you're here. And what it comes down to is that I'm _not_ going back to Volterra with you, and the Cullens are innocent. Why don't you just do what your laws say you should for once, Aro? Quit you conquest for power, before you find it too much for you to handle."

I hadn't realized I was about two feet from him, barring my teeth until Renata snarled at me from his side. I crouched slightly and returned a growl of my own. I'd always hated Renata, she was purely for defensive purposes. She couldn't fight, she was weak, spineless. And she cowered slightly at my growl, simply proving my point.

"Easy, Bex." Jasper, whom I had forgotten was only a few feet behind me, said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

Aro leaned back slowly, his cool eyes seeming to analyze me. "Are you sure you don't want to join us back in Volterra, Rebecca?" He asked, then looked down the field, "Edward? Bella? Alice? Jasper, Zafrina, Kate, Benjamin? You'd all be very welcome."

"No." I said evenly, and I heard the exact same answer simultaneously spoken from the others.

"Shame." He said sadly, "It was so nice to see you again." He smiled at me, I could force no kind of smile in return.

I was missing something. I could feel it, and it set me on edge. Aro leaned towards his brothers, as he would if they were going to vote and Jasper signaled for us to turn and walk back to our line. With my back to them, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Something was wrong, very wrong.

And then I saw it, a tiny little flicker like a drifting current in the air. In the same instant, Alice stopped dead in her tracks, by the time her vision ended I had already bolted forward and her shriek barely reached my ears.

Corin appeared out of nowhere behind Jacob, smashing a fist into his spine and snatching Renesmee. Focused completely on reaching Corin before he could touch her, I didn't see Demitri coming. With a loud crack, he slammed into my side and the two of us went flying.

I grabbed the collar of his cloak and a bright flame erupted between us. My vision was filled with the light of it, white and blue super-hot fire. With a loud stream of courses, Demitri staggered back, beating the flames down. Corin was trying to maneuver away from the Cullens, and was almost free, threatening them with Renesmee's life. Demitri turned to help him.

I grabbed his ankle and wrenched. There was a splitting cracking and keening noise, followed by a howling shriek.

"Now, we're even." I snarled at him, pushing myself back onto my feet. With all the force I could manage I spun one full rotation before letting my elbow slam into his chest, sending him clear back to the Volturi's ranks.

My side burned, and Corin pulled away with Renesmee. Within ten seconds, the tides had turned absolutely against us.

I was one hundred yards to the right of the Cullens, on their side of the clearing, rooted to my spot in fear.

"Very good, Corin, very good indeed." Aro mused as Renesmee squirmed in his arms. Jacob, who had collapsed under Corin's attack was now on his feet, his own blood dripping from his muzzle as he growled.

I noticed, bewildered, that I tasted blood as well, and wiped my mouth with my hand. My fingertips were stained crimson. With an intake of breathe in shock, I felt my lungs burn. Demitri had hit me much harder than I'd thought he would. I realized with another shock that had we impacted an instant sooner, and he'd hit closer to my neck or head, that I would be dead right now.

Perhaps that was his intention.

"This is completely unjustified!" Carlisle called out.

"You intended to break your own laws all along!" Edward accused him, shaking furiously.

Aro smirked slightly, "There are some things that I am not willing to compromise on, young friend."

I stared at him, dumbstruck. _But he would always compromise if the stakes we high enough, and he had something to gain_, "No! Wait, I'll make you a deal." I blurted out suddenly.

His expression told me he'd hoped for me to do this, but what option was left? Renesmee would die…

"Dearest little Rebecca, what could you possibly have to offer that's of any value?" He baited me, taunting me.

"If I swore my loyalty to you, would you leave Renesmee alone, and the rest of the Cullens go free?" I asked.

"_NO!"_ A tortured howl rang out from behind me. Tears were almost immediate, but I refused to let myself look back. If I did, I knew I would run to him, and possibly doom us all.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"You'll trade you're life for hers? Your… mortality?" Aro questioned, obvious delight in his eyes.

There was a long pause as I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm my breathing.

"Yes." I finally managed a tiny whisper.

There was a resounding crash behind me, I heard Emmett shouting, struggling, his words all attempts to calm the one who would give his life to keep me safe. To prevent him from stopping me.

Because I could give Aro something valuable enough to force him to return Renesmee.

Myself.

"Corin," Aro said smoothly, calling him over, then he turned to me with a curious smile, "Rebecca, come here."

Hesitantly, I walked the length of the field. When I was further than halfway, I stopped. Caius growled quietly. "Insolent girl…"

"Let Renesmee go." I said, refusing to move another step.

"You're really in no place to tell me how I ought to handle this situation." Aro chuckled.

I knew I had to keep my composure, but the resentment I felt against Aro was enough to make my blood boil. My forearms began to flicker and spark with fire that I could barely suppress, bursting with energy. "_The one who knows not whether a piece is a pawn or a queen is not the one who should be determining rules_." I shot back at him in Italian, "You're the one who told me that, Aro." I smirked, speaking in English again.

He frowned, and signaled to Corin who stepped forward, and the carefully placed Renesmee on the ground. "You ought to be more respectful of your elders." He grumbled as he glanced at Renesmee. She scrambled to her feet and ran to me, wrapping her small arms tightly around my legs.

"Becky." She whispered, "Becky I don't want you to go."

I squeezed my eyes shut to prevent myself from bawling and kneeled down one knee, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry Nessie," I breathed, leaning back and stroking her hair, "I have to."

"Is it my fault?" She asked softly.

I smiled at her weakly and patted her head, "No, no Nessie it's not your fault. I knew it was bound to happen someday."

"You have to go now?" She asked, her lip quivering.

"Yeah… I have to go." I whispered, "Go back to your mom, you'll be just fine."

She looked at me with such a serious gaze that for a moment I forgot she was less than a year old. "But…"

"Go, okay, Nessie? Go." I urged her softly, standing back up.

With that I gently turned her and gave her a light shove back towards the Cullens. I briefly looked over my shoulder and wished I hadn't. His expression was… well, I didn't have a word for it. It was worse than shattered or heartbroken. I turned back quickly and whispered under my breathe, "I'm sorry Dylan, I love you… I'm sorry."

He probably didn't hear.

With that Corin approached and roughly wrenched my arms behind me and forced me down to my knees. I thought he might do something stupid, like handcuff me, for a moment, but instead he twisted my left arm slightly. To my surprise, I instead felt something small and sharp pierce my forearm, directly into the vein. I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth. Quickly, so none of the Cullens would be able to see from that angle, he jammed the needle-like object back into his pocket and concealed it.

Not too gently, Corin hauled me to my feet and pushed me forward, making me stumble slightly.

An outcry rang from the Cullens. Aro stared back at them with a cool gaze,

"She's no longer a part of your coven, Carlisle, it's really none of your concern." He shot back.

My vision started getting blurry, my legs felt numb. At the same time, my heart rate suddenly spiked and what felt like liquid ice shot through my veins as my heart pumped it to my entire body.

I growled at Corin and leaned back against him, trying to turn and look at him, "What… did you just… _inject_ me with?" I snarled through my haze.

He chuckled quietly, "Oh, just a little something to cool you off," He smirked and leaned closer, whispering in my ear, "and keep you from causing any problems, hot-shot."

"_Figlio di puttana!"_ I hissed lowly. My legs started shaking to the point where I couldn't hold myself up anymore as the Volturi slowly retreated from the clearing. Corin let me fall to the ground and land in a heap, sniffing in disdain.

"Hey!" Felix growled at him.

"You carry her then!" Corin snapped, my ears were ringing.

And then I was out.

****

**Emmett POV-**

There was an uneasy silence that dragged on and on while Aro listened to Rebecca's mind. Dylan, standing next to me, was twitching nervously.

Rebecca scowled deeply and leaned towards Aro, hissing something lowly at him in Italian.

Then they started walking back towards us, I saw Dylan relax visibly, but I was still on edge. I'd always been overprotective of my family, nobody messes with them, and this was a test on my nerves and patience.

Rebecca stiffened, her eyes locking on the space between Bella and Nessie who was sitting on Jake's back. I turned quickly, trying to find the threat myself, and was absolutely dumbstruck to see the air shimmer white for a second.

Then, smirking in grey cloak, Corin appeared out of nowhere.

I, and basically everyone else, all clambered to stop him, but we weren't quick enough. A loud, cracking impact like a baseball bat striking a home run, rang out to my left and out of the corner of my eye I saw the tracker hit Rebecca blind-side. I lunged for Corin.

He side-stepped me quickly, pulling Nessie into his arms by her collar and flooring Jake with a hit that should've snapped a humans spine and shattered it as well. Before I could re-position for another attack, he was already slipping away.

There was a loud cracking noise, and I saw Rebecca jack-knife to her feet, all but slapping Demitri in the face. Were this a little different a situation, I woulda cheered her on.

Instead, I was focusing on making sure Corin didn't get past me.

But the little bastard was slippery. He knew every move in the book when it came to evasion and fancy feet, put Bex to shame. And one by one, he managed to dodge us all with our little girl in his hands. Defeated… doesn't even cover how I felt. I've never felt helplessness before this, and now it's crushing me.

"This is completely unjustified." Carlisle spoke, but his voice wavered like I'd never heard it before and my old man looked pale.

"You intended to break your own laws all along!" Eddie hissed, shaking as he stood in place. God, I couldn't imagine how he was feeling, that was his _kid…_

He glared at me shortly.

_Right, sorry Edward._ I thought.

"There are some things I'm not will to compromise on, young friend." Aro smirked coldly. I felt my own fury building up like a freight train. How could this guy _do _this, then claim to be peaceful?

"No, wait!" Rebecca quickly leapt to her feet, "I'll make you a deal!"

Oh shit.

"NO!" Dylan snarled loudly, and he coiled himself into a low crouch, ready to spring.

I may be slow sometimes, but I knew enough to know that if Dylan lost his cool then he would blow this entire thing and we could lose Nessie.

"I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry." I heard her whisper, and my eyes traveled from her to Nessie trembling in Corin's arms, to Dylan who looked like he was on the verge of losing his mind. I repressed a snarl at the look of hunger in Aro's eyes. That man was a monster, no doubt about it. And, maybe it was just the way I was wired, but it made me want to make sure he never _ever_ got his slimy hands within a mile of Rebecca ever again. She looked like a doe in front of a zombified lion who was foaming at the mouth.

"You'd trade your life for hers… your _mortality?_" His voice was _eager_, you know how sick and twisted that is? _Eager!_

Bex was completely still, stock still, looking like she was only three feet tall, probably staring at him wide-eyed trying to think though I could only see the back of her head.

And then, in the tiniest voice, the kid I'd just started thinking of as my little sister just a few weeks ago said, "Yes." One little word, and she signed her whole life away.

And my brother neatly signed all of ours away as well to death a split second later.

To me, physical pain is nothing.

Gimme your best, trust me brother, I can handle it.

You know why?

Perspective.

Having to pin down your own brother while you watch his mate, and _your sister_ get kidnapped… knocked out, knowing she probably won't come back human if at all and that it will absolutely _wreck_ your brother… _that's real pain_.

I locked my grip around him, holding my own wrist's around his torso. We both slammed into the ground, he was all but howling, trying to break free.

"Easy man, c'mon," I tried to reason with him, "You're gonna get us all killed, she can handle herself."

He made a chocked noise of defeat, a pathetic mix between an anguished cry and shaking breath.

And even though no one died, even though Renesmee was safe…

Today was far from a victory.

It was a defeat, and a bad one.

**Rebecca POV-**

My head was spinning, like my brain was rolling around in my skull. The world seemed to be rocking back and forth as I opened my eyes to a blurry scene.

"_Chiuda in su, voi idioti!"_ I heard someone hiss as my head drooped to one side.

I couldn't focus, my body felt numb. My legs weren't responding to my thoughts to move.

"Zitto, idioti, really!" A voice, warped but I could say it was Santiago's, broke through the haze, snapping impatiently at someone else to shut up.

Bright light filled my vision, waving back and forth. I felt a cool pressure on my eyelids, the light waving back and forth practically burned my retinas. I reeled in surprise and jerked backwards, only to bounce my head off a stone wall that I had apparently been slumped against. I felt a hand gently hold my wrist, two fingers pressuring down on my vein.

"Normal, she's okay." Santiago muttered, with a click the bright light disappeared, "Her pupils are responsive too, but she's still pretty out of it."

There was a low growl from somewhere behind him.

"Control yourself," Santiago grumbled, "You're lucky Aro even allowed you to be in here."

"_She's_ lucky that she's still alive! Ninety milligrams of laudanum, Santiago, _ninety!_" Felix's voice was angry and bitter, but I couldn't smell or see him, my senses were fogged, "Humans overdose at anything over sixty, and _die_ at eighty!"

"Corin ran the measurements repeatedly-"

"_The hell he did!_"I whimpered, covering my ears at his outburst.

"Quiet." Santiago hissed.

"Bex," Felix sighed, his feet made a scuffling noise, but stopped, and he growled quietly.

"You have your restrictions." Santiago muttered, "You can't speak with her until _after_ she's cleared by Caius and Afton."

"She's awake now, anyways."

"Hmm… good point. Get out."

"I thought you were with me on this Sant!"

"I _was_. But even I am not immune to torture. Silently, I support you, but I am not so foolish as to act as publically as have. So, politely, get out Felix."

"I can't belie-"

"_Out._"

More footsteps.

Then, I could smell him, he was leaning closer to me.

"Alright, Bex," He whispered, briefly stroking my hair, "This is going to be an unpleasant experience, _cara mia_, I'm sorry." A towel was pressed against my face, the smell… hit me like a freight train, terrible and strong.

I gagged and shoved Santiago impulsively, when I blinked away my watering eyes, I could see much more clearly. Though I'd rather my vision be foggy than my nose filled with sulfur.

"Gack!" I hissed,

"Yeah, never been a fan of the smelling salts myself, but Aro's orders, _cara_, and you know how that goes." Santiago chuckled.

I blinked in surprise, why was he being so absolutely cordial?

"Yes, I know this is all a lot to take in," He flashed me a small smile, while simultaneously dipping thin strips of cotton in a bowl of hot water, "confusing, to say the least. I must say that in all my years, we've never done something quiet like this at Volterra."

"I'm guessing kidnapping was never in style, then." I rasped, my voice dry and cracking, yearning for water.

Santiago frowned, "No. Rebecca… I know you think me to be against you, as I was never… a friend to you, but even I recognize when the lines between justice and manipulation are blurred."

"Then this is blurred."

"Far beyond, I'm afraid."

I glowered, "And when precisely did you make the _gargantuan leap_ to that conclusion?"

Santiago stiffened, "You'd do well to contain your opinions. Everything I hear, everything you say, is no longer private. _Siete un mente, unito da los maestros, agiamo come uno."_ He repeated his low oath.

We are one mind. One mind under the masters. Acting as one. It was a robotic mantra that sounded more like it came from a sci-fi movie than from the supposed keepers of justice.

I pursed my lips, "Then… I'm more a prisoner then a prospect Guard?"

"From the time you left." Santiago said flatly. He withdrew the clothes from the bowl, wringing out the excess water and carefully pressed them against my side. I winced slightly, for the first time looking down and analyzing the injury Demitri inflicted.

The entire left side of my rib cage was tinged black, purple, grey and brown with dotted red under the skin. I hissed lowly as the thick gauze pressed against the areas that had bled, my entire spine arcing at the horrendous sensation.

"According to Afton you have five broken ribs, one that may have scraped your lung, so be careful. He also mentioned bruised vertebra. Aro is slightly aggravated with Demitri…"

I laughed darkly, "Why?"

Santiago looked at me seriously, "Rebecca… Aro plans to change you as soon as possible. But he can't do that unless he's confident he has a way of controlling your gift through the change and after it so you don't burn the castle down while you change. That involves… well, heavy sedatives."

I frowned and sighed, "Which can't be used if I'm injured."

"Precicsely. So we must wait until you are healed, but… we can't wait too long. Because this entire time we have to subdue your gift, which means more Laudanum… and the longer that's in your bloodstream, the more damage it does. Too long, and it may be permanent." Santiago said robotically.

"… what damage?" I whispered.

"Haven't you noticed?" He asked, dark crimson eyes flickering to mine.

I felt my heart sink a little, so the drugs _had_ caused the lack of feeling in the rest of my body. I couldn't seem to feel or move my limbs. And on top of that, and probably what troubled me the most, is that no matter my concentration… I couldn't create so much as a spark.

"Alright, come on, I've been ordered to take you to Caius and Afton." Santiago murmured, and swiftly lifted me up in his arms. "You won't be able to walk much… until after the change."

I closed my eyes and tried to tune him out as he droned on. I was absolutely exhausted, and my head pounded with constant pain. The world rocked like a boat dipping in a storm.

I hadn't accounted for this, the fact that I would be essentially in an altered mental state 24/7 until the change. How long would Aro plan to wait? I had at least thought I'd be able to walk around with two or three of the guard hounding me. But Aro wasn't taking any chances, he was being over-conservative.

I could only hope that my last ditch effort worked, that Dylan would find my message to him.

**Phew, another chapter done! Sort of a cliffy, and yeah I know it skips around. I debated ending it after Emmett's POV (which, by the way, was really hard to write) but decided it just didn't feel right to leave it there so I kept going. **

**Thanks to:**

**Sand n' Sable- The fact that you noticed makes my day :) **

**Arocora- Cheers to you to mate, hope this meets your expectations!**

**Klynn79- I'm glad too, they always were my two favorites from all the Volturi. I always kind of wished Felix would get a chance to be all fuzzy and nice in the books…**

**You know what to do! Read and review, I don't bite! ;) Till next time!**

**-Zeri**


	39. Chapter 38 You Always Have Hope

**Yeah, I don't own Twilight.**

**Yeah, I'm too lazy to think of a more original disclaimer.**

**Steal my plot I'll hunt you down! (lol jk)**

**Chapter 38- You Always Have Hope**

**Dylan POV:**

One could say the words 'state of shock' applied.

I'm not entirely sure at all what I felt, though. At first, it was the strongest surge of… anger, strength… and perhaps even heightened senses I'd ever experienced in my entire life. It was like a vampire-adrenaline rush. Every muscle in my body was trying to move towards her, to protect her.

But Emmett was stronger than me no matter how hard I struggled.

And then the rush wore away.

It was like my entire body faded away to. I went numb, I couldn't understand what was happening around me. The world didn't make sense anymore. The center of my _being_ was _gone_.

But I could still take in what happened. Irina was quickly retrieved, or what was left of her. Her sisters were ecstatic that she was still alive. At some point, Kate and Tanya appeared by my side.

"Dylan… we'll get her back. We will." Kate said softly.

I stared forward in incomprehension.

Rebecca was… _gone._ They'd taken her. And I hadn't been able to stop them. I hadn't been able to do anything. I squeezed my eyes shut, I'd never felt so helpless.

"We have so much to thank her for, it's the least we can do to rescue her."

"We'll get her back, son." Carlisle placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, bro, the Volturi'll have no idea what hit them." Emmett tried to lighten the mood.

I glowered at him, without even thinking. _He'd_ stopped me from saving her. And now she was _gone._

I spent a lot of time in her room, trying to clear my head. What would she be telling me right now, if she were here? She'd have to have a plan, she was smart, she knew things about survival. She'd learned first-hand how to pull through impossible situations.

'_Felix… risked his life to get me this book._'

That was a small comfort, that among them she had friends. But it was also a wound, for I could do less for her than the Volturi themselves could.

'_Don't worry, I have a backup plan._'

But what was it?

Miserably, I sat up an scanned the room, empty. My eyes fell on a mass of dark brown fur that quivered slightly on a mound of pillows. Savel. Her eyes seemed hollow, and fixed on me, a low sigh slipping from her muzzle. She slowly walked over to me, tail dragging on the ground slightly, and I patted her half-heartedly. She rested her head on my knee.

"I miss her too." I muttered.

Savel looked at me and whined. Her eyes focused on a picture frame, holding a picture of all the Cullens around a Christmas tree, her and I holding hands with her head on my shoulder. I was surprised a wolf would choose to look at a picture.

Then I saw something odd.

It was crooked, the picture inside the frame was slightly tilted. Frowning, I undid the back of the frame and slid the picture back into alignment. As I did that, I saw a tiny white corner sticking out. Paper.

My heart clenched.

I quickly withdrew the photo from the frame, and two sheets of paper fell into my lap. One yellowed with age, one new.

The new paper was a slightly crinkled envelope, the old a folded piece of parchment.

I tore the letter open, my hands were shaking,

_For my Dylan,_

_If you are reading this, I cannot express how sorry I am, for I know that if I had returned home with your family I would have immediately destroyed this letter. I know you're confused, maybe even angry, but I hope you can forgive me. It was something I had to do. _

_I grew up knowing this would happen, perhaps I've tried to convince myself so much that I could avoid it that I started believe it. But I was wrong. In the back of my mind, I knew a long time ago that running from them was… illegal, because they'd saved my life. Perhaps that makes me a fool to have run, and dragged you into this. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to, I don't want to put you into danger._

_By the time you read this, I'll be in Volterra. My best guess is all I have, and honestly I think I have about a week, two at the most, before I'll be sucked into eternity. There's so much I could tell you…_

I read the rest of the letter with a mix of shock, horror, and hope. And at unfolding the older parchment, I nearly leapt up in sudden hope.

It was a map, a map of every tunnel, pass, old pathway, hallway, room and ally that lead in, out, and around the Volturi castle itself.

Now, we had one hell of a fighting chance. I wanted to stand up and hug someone, Rebecca, even though she wasn't here. She _was_. And she'd given me something amazing, she'd given me hope. Hope that we could win this fight.

If there was one thing I could learn from her, I knew it would be that you _always_ had hope.

**_#_#_#_#_#_#_#_ #_#_#_# _#_#_#_ #_#_#**

**Rebecca POV-**

"Good morning sunshine!"

I opened my eyes and grimaced at the pain that the bright light brought with it. Corin waltzed in cheerfully, with a perfect sneer plastered on his face.

"And how are you today, Miss. Rebecca?"

I said nothing, I had little strength left for words.

He fell deathly silent, pausing in his actions of rummaging about, "I asked you a _question_, hybrid." He hissed out lowly, "You'll answer when you're spoken to."

"I-I'm fine." I murmured lowly, glancing at the ground.

He grabbed my arm and hauled my off my bed, "Look at me when you answer me!" He snarled.

His eyes were dark red, cold, spiteful… hungry and consuming. I saw Luke in his eyes. With a low growl I stepped into him, my elbow jabbing quickly into his stomach, and sweeping my arm in a wide arc in front of me. A thin wisp of flame expanded outward before dissipating, just enough to make Coring leap backwards.

He growled loudly, "Defiant mutant!" He erupted in a fury, crouching low.

But my energy was spent, I hadn't even known I had the energy to make that fire in the first place. Corin didn't know that, if only I could stay on my feet without my legs shaking…

"_Demitri, Jane, veini subito qui!"_ Corin snarled lowly, tossing my another pointed glower as I backed slowly, all but cornered in my little room as he blocked the doorway.

A split second later, he was flanked by the two he commanded to join him, and neither looked too pleased.

"What? Can't you handle this by yourself?" Jane snarled harshly, her gaze fell upon me for the briefest of instances, and was so utterly cold and condescending it stung.

"I'm sorry, I'd rather not be reduced to ashes." Corin hissed back indignantly.

Demitri sighed and rolled his eyes, "Take her to the tunnels. When you're sure she won't be making any more trouble give her another dose of laudanum." He tossed me a sharp glare.

"And how do I get her down to the tunnels?" Corin demanded shortly.

"Must I do everything myself?" Demitri muttered quietly, "Rebecca, _veini qui_."

I remained rooted to my spot.

He growled, _"Veini qui._"

Corin scoffed at him, "See, she's completely stubborn. I don't see why Aro even brought her hear, she's so uncooperative. It would have been better to kill her."

Demitri slapped him quickly before storming in the door way and grabbing me under my arms. He dragged me back out towards the doorway, despite my attempts to stop him. We stopped by Corin, "Because," Demitri hissed, "When Aro tells you to do something, you _do it_."

He shoved me at Corin, who let me stumble and fall at his feet. He glowered at Demitri shortly before grabbing my arm and lifting me to my feet. He stared at me with deep crimson eyes, burning with endless cruelty. Corin, of all the guard, was the most reserved, the quiet one who exploded in anger when provoked, the silent, deadly one.

I trembled slightly. I was so weak. I could barely stand, and with no strength to use my gift, how could I protect myself?

He pulled me down long hallways, until we reached a spiral staircase that plunged downward, where I could hear running water. He stopped and set me on my feet, "Walk." He growled.

My legs shook slightly as I made my way down the stairs, moving very slowly. His hisses of annoyance rang in my ears. I was shaking, now, scared of what he _could_ do. If I was accidently killed, Aro would surely be _disappointed_, but I was not too sure that would stop Corin if he really truly was that angry with me.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and froze. It was like a subway station, but where the tracks would have been was a rapidly flowing river, with foaming white-water. It was the water source for the entire Volturi castle, not that they needed it.

I was afraid of water, of oceans, of swimming. I always had been, worse than a cat when it came to water. I'd never been a strong swimmer either as I tended to panic and flail. And every single one of the Guard knew that.

Corin shoved me forward, a few steps closer to the edge of the platform. Desperately, I turned to face him and pleaded, "No, Corin, please, I- I promise I won't do anything again!"

He smirked, and twisted his arm back.

I braced, throwing my own arms up, but the impact still sent my flying backwards.

The water was frigid, and black. It sent a shock like electricity though my body, making my skin burn with its freezing temperature. When I broke the surface, Corin's arm grabbed my shoulders and held me, forcing me back under the water.

For what seemed like hours, it dragged on like torture. I would struggle to pull away until I was nearly at the point of inhaling water, and he would haul me to the surface for only the briefest breath before throwing me back. I felt utterly helpless, and torn. I had been so close to what I thought was a perfect happy ending. I was _healed_, I was _confident_, I felt _unstoppable_… and now, I felt broken again, I felt weak. Without food or water, I had started to feel fatigued, and mixed with the drugs, I could barely walk a straight line. Everything I was proud of was stripped away. No shreds of dignity Finally, when it was over, all I could do after climbing free of the river was collapse against the wall in a heap.

I was slumped against the cold stones, my breathing ragged, my clothing soaked. It was cold, my teeth chattered, the water from my clothes seemed to be slowly seeping into my bones. Corin had left, how long ago I wasn't sure, to get Caius and Afton.

I wished Dylan was here. So badly, I needed him.

His promise ring gleamed slightly in the darkness on my finger.

A low sobbing noise caught my attention. It sounded like wind through the tunnels, but I knew that this tunnel didn't connect to open air. The noise was coming from the other-side of the stone staircase that led up to the castle. Cautiously, I crawled over to the stairs.

"_Alo…?"_ I whispered into the darkness, my voice hoarse and raspy, the cold water still burned my throat and I coughed.

There was a scuttling sound, like skin scraping against stone. I crawled to the area under the staircase and peered into the darkness. What I saw tore away at my slowly breaking heart. A little boy, terrified and covered in mud, was curled into the farthest corner. He had messy brown hair and bright shocking eyes, grey irises that made his eyes seem like a stormy sky. I gasped, and he looked up at me.

His eyes widened in surprise, and slight fear. He seemed to relax, though, as he took in my appearance.

"Did they take you away from your family, too?" He asked me quietly.

A tiny chocking sob for him escaped me, he was so innocent.

"Yes." I murmured, my throat scathing, "They took me away from my family."

"Why?" He asked me,

"Because… I used to live with them, and they wanted me back because I could do things no one else could." I whispered, leaning against the wall next to him. I realized he must be no older than ten or twelve.

"Special things?" He asked, seeming curious.

"Yeah, special things." I muttered, a lump rising in my throat. What would my life be like if I didn't have a gift?

"Me too." He said sadly.

I looked back at him in surprise. "Like what?"

"I lived with vampires," He whispered, like it was a secret, "In Australia, and they told me I was special because I was a '_domandian_'. They were my family."

"I-I'm… I'm the same thing as you, but… I don't like that word." I stammered, and forced a small smile.

"Why?" He asked me with a sad frown, "They," He gestured at the staircase, "Told me I'm damned, they say I'm useless, and that I belong to them."

I pat his hair lightly, "They don't know anything." I said softly, "I'll let you in on a secret, we're special. The family I lived with, there's another one like you and me there… a little different, but the same thing. A hybrid, special. They love her, and she's part of their family. And I'm part of their family to. Just because we're different, it doesn't mean we don't deserve families." I felt as if I was more teaching myself this than I was him, because he needed someone, maybe even more than I did.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"What special thing can you do?" He asked suddenly, "What's your name, how old are you, who's your family?"

I almost laughed, "I can make fire," I wiggled my fingers, "just like _magic_. My name's Rebecca, and my family… is the Cullens, they live in Washington, America." He stared at me entranced, "What about you?"

"My name's Theodore, but my family calls me Teddy, I can make weather change!" He said excitedly.

"That's amazing." I smiled at him warmly.

"Yeah… but it made the Volturi attack my family," He frowned, "Sometimes I think it was my fault."

I was silent for a few seconds. "Sometimes I think that to."

"They attacked your family?" He asked.

"Not yet, so that's why I came to Italy. So they wouldn't." I muttered.

"But they hurt you, I saw that one… why would you do what they say if they hurt you?" His grey eyes were wide and innocent.

"So… I…" I took a stead, "So that other people don't get hurt because I broke the law."

Before the boy could respond, I heard footsteps on the stairs. Immediately, we both jumped and started shaking in fear. I was infuriated by the thought the Volturi had hurt or attacked him as they had me. If I was going to escape Volterra, I knew for sorry I was bringing Teddy with me.

"Stay here, okay? They're only here for me." I whispered,

His small hand grabbed mine, "I don't want you to get hurt, it's not fair."

For a moment, I wasn't in Volterra. But the small hand holding mine was a paler one, a little girl with copper hair and chocolate eyes. Snow covered fields spanned in every direction, _"Why do you have to go, Becky?"_ Renesmee.

"I'll be okay." I swallowed as I said it, not sure what I believed anymore.

As quickly as I had the strength to, while bracing myself against the wall, I slipped back to the other side of the staircase where I had been before. Caius and Afton descended the stairway, Corin behind them.

"Corin…" Caius growled lowly, "Did I not make it clear that you were not to damage her further? You are prolonging the time before we can change her! Only my brothers or I themselves may determine how she is to be treated, not you!"

"I apologize, master." He grumbled. "She was being difficult."

"Yes well the entire situation presents _difficulties_," Caius snapped, shooting me a condescending look, "But when I give you _orders_, I expect them to remain what they are." He bared his teeth at Corin ever so slightly, "ORDERS!"

Corin flinched, "Yes, master, of course. I apologize."

Caius pressed his forefingers to his temples, "Afton…"

"Yes, master?"

"Take care of… this." He waved his hand in the air dismissively.

Afton glided to my side with a distant expression. There was a dull smacking noise, and I realized that Corin had been slapped.

"I don't care _what_ happens, if you injure her I will make sure that you spend the next _decade_ repaying me for it." Caius hissed under his breath.

"It was Demitri's idea…"

"And I'm sure he'll be happy to join you in the punishment then!" He spat silvery venom on the floor then gestured roughly for Corin to leave. He then stalked over towards me, "What have you to say, Afton?"

"Perhaps she could say better herself." Afton muttered lowly, his eyes flickered nervously to his master. He squeezed my hand gently.

I opened my mouth, but Caius quickly spoke, "I don't wish to hear it _from her_," He snapped, before glancing at me, "make no mistake mutant, you may be useful to Aro, and you may be unique in your talent, but I think you'll find it prudent that you _do not forget your place_."

I glared at him. My place? Who was he to tell me my place? I was never a willing member of the Guard, nor was I now, this was hardly legal at all.

"My place?" I croaked out, coughing, like my lungs were retching trying to get water out, "_My place_ was never with you. I am a _Cullen_, not a Volturi." Though my voice was not loud, I could feel the strength of my own words. It felt… fantastic, it felt like a jolt of energy. I felt as though I'd been brought back to the Cullens for a moment, just because I embraced them as my family.

Caius sneered, "We shall see." He glanced at Afton, "Well?"

"Nothing… to terrible." Afton murmured, "Minor lacerations, re-fractured rib."

I understood. Afton was the Volturi's healer, with numerous medical degrees like Carlisle, and an uncanny understanding of anatomy, healing was all but his gift. And perhaps it was.

"But, I think he…" Afton paused and frowned deeply, "_drowned_ her." Afton frowned.

"Bah! She'd be in far worse shape then." Caius said dismissively.

"She is _part_ vampire, master, she can hold her breath for much longer than a human, but there is water in her lungs, and bruising around her throat. To me… it seems obvious that Corin at the very least attempted to drown her." Afton said more seriously, chancing another look at a glowering Caius.

"Fine." He muttered through gritted teeth, "Give her the next dose and bring her to Aro."

"Are you sure that another dose that strong is a good idea considering-"

"_Now_, Afton." Caius hissed.

Afton sighed and withdrew a syringe from his pocket. I recoiled immediately. There was no way I was willing to experience that again. Pursing his lips, seeming almost apologetic, Afton reached to grab my arm. I scuttled away from him.

"Don't make this difficult." Afton pleaded with me.

There was a low snarl, Caius reached down and grabbed my arm, pinning it down hard against the wall. I cried out, every joint in my arm seared.

"If cooperation cannot be given, it will be _taught_." He hissed as Afton retrieved a needle.

"You think if you turn me I'll cooperate?" I hissed, straining my neck and clenching my teeth to bite back shrieks, "I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees."

"Then you will _die_, and serve your eternal in immortality kneeling before your masters."

The needle broke my skin, and a cold liquid ran in my veins, spreading rapidly like ink in water. I whimpered quietly at the feeling, making my skin crawl. Caius left quickly, sweeping up the stairs. But Afton stayed, checking over my bruises before lifting me into his arms.

"You should stop resisting." He whispered, near silently. Afton was never a close friend, but he never was one for violence.

"I won't give up what I've worked so hard to create so easily, Afton." I murmured, my voice becoming slurred.

"You have the spirit of a lion, for sure… declaring yourself a Cullen to the master's face." He chuckled lightly.

The world slowly tilted out of order, I remember hearing Aro's voice, though I could not grasp the words. I felt his hand touch mine, but it was brief.

Whatever thoughts he was searching for, I was at least happy that he probably did not find them.

Because I had discovered something before being taken from the Cullens, that my thoughts didn't work like a vampires, or a humans. As long as I could block Edward, I could block Aro.

And I could protect the plan I'd laid out, and hope.

I could always hope.

I'd always have hope. It's something that no one can ever crush.

**A/N: Yes, has been a while, yes I did have a concussion… like my fifth. I'm just unlucky and clumsy like that. But I'm back to writing without headaches! And this chapter was hard, let me tell you. I decided that out of all the masters, the one I thought brought the most outright cruelty was Caius whilst Aro seems more… deceptive and plotting and Marcus sort of defeated… passive. I do enjoy painting my version of the Volturi picture, it's fun!**

**For those of you who care, I made a post-season event for ski racing and will be away for a large chunk of March, so I'll make sure to update some new chapters more than once before then! I'm writing as fast as I can, but I really like writing this story so I don't mind! :)**

**Please read and review, thanks to my regular reviewers! I think of you guys as my motivation crew, and you really keep me writing. You're special, and I mean that in a good way ;)**

**Till' next time!**

**-Zeri**


	40. Chapter 39 Strenght In Struggle

**I do not own Twilight blah blah blahhh…**

**

* * *

**

_Chapter 39: Strength in Struggle_

**Rebecca POV-**

"Rebecca, dear…" Caius drew out the word slowly, "I understand your resentment towards Corin, really, I do. I rather dislike him myself."

"U-uh h-huh." I stammered through my quivering lips. I had been in my room, awake, and obediently doing nothing less than half an hour ago. Then, Demitri told me Caius wanted to ask me some questions. So, here I was… pulling at chains that were wrapped around my wrists. I rolled my shoulders uncomfortably, trying to somehow reposition myself in a more comfortable way.

Which is hard to do when you're chained to a concrete pillar with your arms behind your back.

"The chains weren't my idea," He added, "by the way. I mean, I would have rather talked to you one on one and use Jane to threaten you into cooperation." Because that seemed so much better…

I shifted uncomfortably, trying to angle myself away from him.

"What do you want?" I asked quietly.

"Speak when spoken to." Caius hissed shortly. I flinched, and my heart jumped. I saw his lip twitch in amusement. "I will be asking you some questions… you will answer them, directly, or Santiago will be more than happy to offer you incentive." He smiled broadly, until it was merely a display of teeth.

"What the hell do you want to ask me that you couldn't just have Aro tell you him-" I started.

"Silence!" Caius snapped, "I do enjoy interrogations, and I would love to know where your loyalties and emotions stand after your travels. The information will be… helpful once you have been changed and we have to rework your loyalties."

I could feel the sweat slicking my skin, especially my neck. It was hot, the drugs were wearing off with their side-effects kicking in, and I was anxious.

"First question. Did you meet any other nomadic groups in your travels? And don't say those idiotic nomads Annalise and Conrad, I already know about them." He said coldly.

"Yes." I said quietly.

"Who?" Caius growled.

"It's not important." I whispered back.

"Santiago." Caius said rapidly and Santiago slapped me in a fast blur. I bit my lip to repress a whimper, leaning my head back against the pillar. The blow whipped my head sideways so fast that my neck hurt. "I decided what's important." Caius gloated smugly. "Now, who did you meet?"

"The Egyptians, the Romanians… uhm, Garrett-"

"And your father." Caius added. I felt anger wash over me.

"He is not my father!" I hissed, "He's a liar and a monster."

"A monster that takes great pride… in your kind. Now, I know that he has three other monstrosities like yourself… but he seems to think you he greatest creation." Caius paced, "Curious. Why would his grand pupil leave him, when none of the others could?"

"H-he has a gift." I said carefully, closing my eyes as I saw his hand twitch in annoyance.

"What. Kind. Of. Gift?"

"M-mind control, but not very strong, he's more able to influence your decisions, like Chelsea but not limited to peoples loyalties." My throat stung from dryness, no matter how many times I licked my lips they remained dry and cracked.

"Huh. Wonderful news, another dangerous connection you have." Caius clapped his hands with fake enthusiasm. "So… I am, ever so curious…" He drawled, "Who is this _Dylan_ character?"

"You already know who he is." I snapped shortly, feeling a tightening in my chest when Caius spoke his name. Santiago leaned forward again, the back of his hand this time hitting the same exact spot on my face. I tasted blood.

Caius scowled at me, "Elaborate, I thought I taught you well enough that you would know to answer a question fully. _Who_ is he, as in, who was he as a human, who changed him, where was he from… what does he mean to you?" Santiago shifted slightly from where he was kneeling to my left.

I spoke quickly. "I-I don't know everything," My voice came out as a rushed squeak, "He was born sometime around the early eighties, adopted, was trouble and went to a military academy, his parents were killed by a vampire and that's how he was changed. The Denali's took him in but couldn't help him much with his thirst," Santiago leaned slightly closer to me and sniffed my neck, I leaned away from him and felt a cool sweat break out on my forehead, "so they asked the Cullens to take him in." I finished in a whimper.

"Santiago." Caius cut in sharply, Santiago paused. The tip of his nose brushed my neck, "If you are not properly fed you can go back to the main hall."

Santiago smirked slightly and withdrew, "I apologize."

"Rebecca," Caius smirked, "You will remember your place. Aro may treat you with kindness due to his… character, but that does not make you in any way remotely close to being equal to a distinguished member of the Volturi Guard. No matter what that brand of yours says. Do you understand?"

I was silent.

"Answer me." He snarled. My throat was dry, before I could piece together a response he nodded. Santiago's shoe dug into my stomach, and my whole body pitched forward so that my arms scraped against the column. I panted, trying to regain my breath, feeling like my stomach had been lit on fire.

"Know your place. Do you understand?" His hissed.

I nodded mutely, feeling as though I was about to vomit.

"Goooood." He purred. He stood up straight as did Santiago and waltzed towards the door, "Goodbye for now, Ms. Volturi."

I wanted to cry.

Groaning quietly, I leaned my head back against the column, blinking back my watering eyes and wiggling uncomfortably against the chains. I heard light footsteps outside the door and a quiet knock.

"Like it matters what my response is!" I croaked harshly, and I heard him enter slowly.

"Rebecca," His voice was even, but careful.

"Don't sound so innocent," I spit out, "I know you asked Caius to do that. I know you planned for Corin to make the drugs, I know you let Demitri torture Felix I know that the purpose of your visit right now is to appear _my savior_ after having Caius hurt me."

He was silent for a long time.

"Cara mia… you've changed." He whispered, "I never meant for things to turn out this way, what you've had to go through was so unnecessary."

"I would do it again!" I shouted at him, lowering my gaze from the ceiling. "A thousand times!"

"What a disappointment. I have heard all your thoughts, seen all your scars-"

I laughed darkly, perhaps I was losing my mind and I let my head tilt to one side on my shoulder, "Oh, Aro… you haven't seen the start!" I chuckled, "Oh! But what would Aro think if he knew his little toy was broken?" I snarled the last word harshly before breaking into a fit of hysteric laughter.

"We can help you, being a member of the Guard would be so good for you. All you need is a well structured environment-"

"Yes, well _structured,_" I interrupted him in a mocking tone, "So that absolute obedience is demanded and enforced via torture or _death_ depending on how valuable that person was to dearest Aro."

His expression darkened, perhaps I'd gone insane.

"You will come to see that I am right."

"Of course, Aro always gets what he _wants_. No matter the law." I snapped.

He narrowed his eyes, "You brought this upon yourself, Rebecca. There's nothing I can do for you and you know it."

"That's a lie!" I called out as he turned, "But you wouldn't do anything now, would you?" I asked softly and he paused at the door.

"Even if you could… you'd rather me be a broken pet to you than belong to anyone else happily?"

The door slammed and I was alone.

* * *

**Dylan POV-**

"The tunnels should give us access to the castle, and an escape route." I explained, tracing the line of crisscrossing underground roads on the map. "What's more, we have a resource within the Guard itself."

"You're kidding." Rosalie balked.

"Nope," I grinned broadly, "In her letter, Rebecca said that if we inform this person what day we arrive in Volterra, he'll be more than happy to help us."

"Who is it?" Bella asked curiously, glancing over all the papers.

"_Signore Diovani_," I said with a flourish, "Honestly, I don't know, but I suspect either Alec of Felix."

"Felix," Eleazar said suddenly, "Diovani is Felix's surname."

Emmett snorted under his breath, "She thinks the Guard's personal muscle-man is gonna help _us_ out?"

"He gave her the book." I pointed out. "Look, I know that there's a lot of… well, details with trying to attack the Volturi _in_ Volterra so we can get Bex out… but, I think we all just need to have a little more faith." I said pointedly, everyone seemed so deflated and lifeless. Rebecca was confident. I believed in her.

"Faith in what?" I was surprised to hear Irina ask that question, as she'd been near silent after her sisters helped heal her.

"In Rebecca, in her plan, in ourselves, in… in… I don't know, _fate_. Just… I don't know. Maybe I'm crazy, and right now I should be breaking down and wishing I was dead because Rebecca is gone and the Volturi want to turn her, but I'm _not_. Because I… _believe_ that we can get her back." I said, amazed at my own words, "Rebecca… gave me something more than I could ever ask, she made me see hope in the world, and now, I believe in her. And she believes in me, and in all of us."

"Well," Garrett cleared his throat, "I'm not letting her down. Let's set this thing in motion."

"Indeed." Eleazar grinned.

"Time's a' wastin'," Jasper drawled, a smirk appearing on his face, "An' I'm wonerin' if I could go question our Volturi friends about their… justice."

Family is truly invaluable.

**

* * *

**

**Rebecca POV-**

I no longer knew the days as they passed. Everything was blurred together. Separating delusions and realty was becoming so difficult that I repeatedly woke thinking I was back in Washington.

I knew that time was running out, and I knew that any time now, Aro would walk through my door and drag me to the ceremonial room only used for turning new members of the Guard.

As it happened, Felix opened my door.

I blinked, trying to actually focus my eyes, with limited success.

"Bex, Bex, c'mon, wake up." He rushed to my side, had he visited me before? I could not remember.

My head lolled to one side, was I on my bed? I was. "Wha-…?" I asked him, confused, "What's going on?"

"Bex, I-… I'm gonna need more time. I need more time!" He muttered desperately, "They're getting here _today!_"

My heart leapt, I felt like crying, "Today?" I choked out, "Really?"

"And Aro is planning to turn you into a vampire today!" He hissed, pulling at his hair. "He moved the date! You have to delay, any way you can. My patrol shift is brief, and it's the only time I'll be able to sneak them into the city. It's at the same time. You _have_ to delay!" Felix pleaded.

I frowned and struggled to sit up, "How am I supposed to prevent a bunch of vampires from biting me when I can't walk a straight line?" I croaked, looking at him seriously, feeling deflated.

Felix looked pained, "Becca… _please…_"

I trembled in place as he hugged me, "Felix I don't know that I _can_ stop them." I squeezed my eyes shut, my whole body ached, "I… I give up."

He looked as though he were going to weep. My brother, my role-model, was falling apart. I felt tears slide down my cheeks.

"Don't cry," He rasped out, "God, you… you have no idea how much it _hurts_ to see you like this." He gripped my shoulder, "I know it's you, but… the whole time, you were so drugged up… it's like you were a ghost, and so detached. And then Corin went off at you… Rebecca, I _can't_ let this happen anymore!"

"What do you want me to do?" I whispered.

He reached into his cloak and pulled out a tiny metal flask. "I know you'd rather have human food, but this will make you stronger."

My stomach churned, "Felix…"

"I know, given the choice, you'd hunt animals over people any day. That's why I took the liberty of trying it myself, and bagging you wild boar." He smiled faintly, as if it were a joke. It reminded me of Emmett… funny, I used to think Emmett reminded me of Felix. I suppose my 'families' were intertwined in a way.

"You'll be caught." I murmured.

"I start patrol in ten minutes. I'll be fine, by the time they figure it out the Cullens will be here." He said seriously.

I threw my arms around him and sobbed. He had done so much for me. I loved him, and I always would, I don't know how I planned to live without him.

"H-how… how long do you think this will last? I haven't had any food for… however long I've been here,"

"Nine days." He replied quickly.

"_Nine days?_" I rasped. "Cazzo…"

"This much blood should give you enough energy to fight them off for a while, but… be careful, the more fire you use, the quicker you'll burn off your energy, literally." He handed me the little flask.

"Thank you." I muttered, and swallowed a lump in my throat, "Felix, be careful… and good luck."

He smiled briefly, "You too, monkey, you too." He disappeared out the door and I pulled the cork free of the flask.

I folded myself onto the bed, glancing around at the windowless room. I remembered my old room in Volterra, with windows, a closet, a table, a grand four post canopy bed…

With a grimace, I put my lips to the flask and tossed my head back. The blood was cold, and for sure it was no normal food to me. My entire body trembled in response, shaking. It was hard to take in the amount of energy drinking blood gave me when I was so weak. Blood was a vampires energy, they physically needed it… except I wasn't a vampire.

My heart-rate kicked up three notches. Suddenly, I smelled and heard Aro coming. Felix was right. God bless him. I got to my feet, shakily, not trusting my newfound balance. The door was thrown open seconds later, Aro was flanked by both Demitri and Corin, Heidi behind them looked heartbroken. It occurred to me that this was the first time I had seen my adoptive mother since arriving in Volterra.

"Delaying will only prolong the pain," Aro said solemnly to me, his eyes dark.

Corin and Demitri stepped forward, each grasping one of my arms. I locked my muscles down, they could not move me. Corin growled.

"Rebecca…" Aro warned me. Heidi flittered about nervously.

"I won't be taking orders from you anytime soon." I murmured.

With that I dropped one leg behind me, crouching and in one swift movement, snapped both of my arms forward, throwing Demitri and Corin back out the doorway.

Corin landed on his feet, Demitri slammed into Aro.

"_Asino!"_ Heidi yelled and hit Corin so hard I was surprised her arm didn't shatter, "Go, Bex, hurry!" She stepped aside, leaving the doorway clear.

"_Ti amo, Heidi!"_ I cried out as I shot through the doorway. I turned to see her smile briefly.

I ran as fast as I possibly could. Winding my way through the castle, I was desperate to get out. But as I came around one corner, I ran right into Jane. She glowered at me so bitterly I nearly stumbled backwards.

"You… you… _traitor_." She hissed at me.

"Jane," I said cautiously, holding my hands up, "you know it wasn't like that."

"Liar." She growled and smiled at me. I had a brief second to brace myself before the pain floored me. I bit my lips so hard it bled, but I wasn't going to scream. She wouldn't get that satisfaction.

Seconds later, it was over. I was surrounded by dark cloaks. Caius slapped Heidi, I felt my blood boil. Torches lining the corridor erupted into sudden light. The entire guard jumped and I growled lowly, while feeling myself sway slightly, that small and unintentional effort drained my balance.

"Submit!" Demitri growled. "Alec, now!" He commanded, and Alec shot me a pained look. With nowhere to go, and no way to take this many of them, I had just seconds before Alec incapacitated me.

Before it did, Santiago grabbed me and pinned me down. When my senses returned, I was in a darkly lit room, laying on a cold stone slab. The room was filled with gold decorations, the stone I lay on encrusted with blood-red rubies. Each of my limbs was held down by a different hooded figure, and with all their scents swirling in the air, I couldn't identify them. Growling, I struggled to pull myself free, my back arching as I tried to lift myself off the slab. Flames wrapped around my arms, but the guard made no moves, as the fire lapped at their cloaks, it dissipated… with… steam? They were… covered in water?

Their cloaks were soaking wet.

The room was filled with three feet of water.

And steam rose from _my_ arms, the flames danced wildly, like an animal recoiling from a blow. I felt something soaked into my clothes, and slowly began to realize I was… coated in water as well. It was _raining_ inside the tiny room. _Teddy,_ I thought sadly, _they're making Teddy do it._

I cursed and shrieked profanities at all of them, thrashing so hard that I heard one of them grunt, and Afton's hood fell back. Aro stepped closer to me, arms folded behind him. I couldn't repress the snarls rolling off my in waves.

"Rebecca… if you'd just cooperate…"

"The hell I do for you!" I shrieked, pulling hard against the grip on my arms. "Let Teddy go!"

"Teddy?" Demitri sneered at me, "The boy will meet the same fate in exactly eighteen months."

"He's _just a child_!" I shrieked at Demitri, "You can't do that, you can't do _this_, you have no _right!"_ I screamed, my lungs aching with the breath it took. I could feel myself starting to bruise where they held me.

He chuckled sadly, as if he was _actually_ sorry he had to do this. But then his eyes glinted, "You'll make a wonderful vampire, beautiful and powerful." He licked his lips, "I often imagined you as one of us, so… magnificent and loyal, I look forward to your service in the guard." He whispered, leaning forward so his lips nearly touched my ear.

My breathing spiked as I felt his lips brush across my throat, beneath my chin. He was toying with me. I pulled harder against my restraints, but they wouldn't budge, I could feel my temporary strength draining.

"You've always had an interesting scent, I _was_ always curious about that," Aro chuckled, "I wondered if your blood would taste that different from other humans."

I growled, but this time in fear, and tried to crane my neck away from him.

Oh my god, this was it. I was out of time. Dylan didn't make it. Tears pooled in my eyes, and spilled over without resistance, he was too late. How? Why? I thought he would make it, he said… he said he would… I believed he would, what happened? No. No,no,no, he had to make it. This wasn't happening!

_It can't be happening!_

"Welcome to eternity." Aro breathed, I squeezed my eyes shut as he leaned in, feeling my muscles clench down, as if to brace myself.

I was bewildered, and horrified. Frantic tears streamed down my cheeks and I was unable to stop the blubbering nonsense coming from my lips. I'd been faced with death before and been calmer.

But this wasn't death.

This was worse.

**

* * *

**

**Dylan POV-**

"Thanks for the ride." I nodded to the two nomads, Connie and Annalise, as we slipped off the jet, unnoticed, into Florence.

"Anything for Rebecca." The female said earnestly, "We apologize for not being able to help before, the Volturi called us to witness for them and we had no idea what actually happened."

"Bygones." Carlisle said with a forgiving smile, "It was good to see you again, Connor."

'Connor' nodded stiffly.

"Dylan, call the number." Alice whispered from behind me.

"Got it."

I grabbed the phone she handed me and quickly punched in the number.

"_Alo, Signore Diovani?"_ A voice, without a doubt the voice of Felix, asked skeptically.

"Felix Volturi?" I asked.

"… Yes?"

"It's Dylan Cullen."

"Well, I don't know if I'm happy to hear from you, or if I wanna throttle you kid, but for Becca's sake, thank god you called." Felix huffed on the other end of the line.

_Why does he want to throttle me…?_ I thought absently.

"Rebecca is his 'little sister'." Edward muttered from behind me.

"Ah." I grumbled, "Well, all I have is a note, so you tell me why your number was on it."

There was a short silence.

"If you meet me at _Plazo di Marco_ in half an hour, I can get you into Volterra castle." He said calmly.

"We'll be there." I said darkly.

Oh, hell, we would _be_ there. Demitri was _mine_, and personally mine. I would rip his sorry ass apart for all the grief and pain he caused my angel.

We ran almost in complete silence, the sun had yet to rise over the countryside as we sped towards Volterra. In total, there was fifteen of us, including myself. Edward and Bella had left Renesmee with Jacob. I knew it was tough for them, because this was dangerous, but they both agreed that Rebecca was family as well. Beyond that, I was pleasantly surprised that my old family, the Denali's, unanimously agreed to come with us, including Garrett himself. Irina had remained home though, healing… I felt bad for her, and forgave her. She was still family to me.

We had fair numbers, and with Felix on our side, perhaps even Heidi and Alec, I believed we could get in and out with no losses.

It was all about the element of surprise. We had to take the leading force of the vampire world off guard. No one had done that since the Romanians, but I suppose there is a first time for everything.

By the time we reached _Plazo di Marco_, I was all but seeing red. I could _see_ the Volturi castle. Rebecca was _right there_.

"Dylan." A cool voice said from the shadows of a path under a clock-tower.

"Felix." I replied evenly, grinding my teeth in anticipation.

"Good to meet you under slightly better circumstances." He muttered, glancing at the large group of vampires behind me, "I'm glad you've brought friends."

"As am I, though I don't qualify this situation as under better circumstances." I said lowly.

Felix's eyes darkened, "True. Our time is limited, follow me."

We quickly wove through back-alleys of Volterra. The castle loomed in the distance, dark stone casting a long shadow. It was ancient, and grand, though the part actually used by the Volturi was completely _underground_, to prevent any chance of a human stumbling upon them. Old water tunnels, however, from the sixteenth century, wove directly through some of the sections of the underground castle the Volturi no longer used. The locks would stop a human.

But not fifteen vampires.

Felix guided us all the way to the entrance to the sewer that led to the underground heart of Volterra, and the Volturi itself.

"Do you have a plan of where to go?" He asked me after everyone had slipped down into the darkness below.

"Yes." I nodded stiffly.

He pursed his lips and looked away sharply, contemplating. After a few seconds- each one grating my nerves as I thought of them as wasted time- he nodded, "I will join you." He said, his voice a low mutter, then, louder… more assured, "Yes, I will join you."

"Pardon?" I didn't fully understand.

He smirked broadly, inadvertently flashing his teeth, and threw the hood back from his cloak, "I quit." He stated resolutely, "I'm done with the Volturi."

I stared. What? Since when was it that simple? "Can you do that?" I asked him.

His lips twitched, "In theory."

I composed myself and came to an agreement with myself that this was actually a very good thing, both in the fact that it added a significant ally to our forces, as well as unsettling other Volturi like Heidi and Alec, possibly swaying them for our cause…

"Thank you, I appreciate your support." I said earnestly, before leaping down into the tunnel. The former Volturi dropped down behind me and quickly removed his cloak, tossing it into the dirty black waters that sat still in puddles along the side of the tunnel.

I was met with expectant eyes by the rest of my family. (I suppose I could call all of them family, Cullens and Denali's alike, I was also fairly certain that Garrett would soon be a Denali as well.)

"Felix has decided his time with the Volturi is past." I said, and noticing this was met with some doubt, I added, "Knowing he cared for Rebecca, I trust him, and I'm sure you all do as well."

Carlisle was the first to nod and shake Felix's hand in thanks, and noticing my growing discomfort, urged that we continued on our way with twice the pace. To this I had no objections.

We reached a portion of tunnel with a river running rapidly through the center, like a subway station with train tracks below, except that water was in place of tracks. Rebecca's scent hung very heavily in the air, and suddenly. As if she had only strayed a couple feet from the stairs leading out and no further. I heard a heartbeat, and if mine still beat, it would most certainly be racing.

But it wasn't her. But rather, a pitiful site, of a tiny human boy curled in the corner, frail and no doubt utterly terrified. He had a black eye and a bloodied lip. He was slowly rocking himself back and forth, his hands clenching and unclenching as if he were focusing intensely on something. I wanted for a moment to stop, and see if I could help him, but I just couldn't. I had to help Rebecca. I could help the boy on the way back out… if had time.

I realized I was willing to passively let others suffer so long as Rebecca was safe. I'd never felt like that about anyone besides her, not to this point.

There was a thunderous noise, like an explosion from somewhere above us, and a high pitch female-shriek. Felix stiffened.

"Heidi." He muttered to himself.

There was more banging, yelling of orders in Italian, and growls emanating from the castle.

Silence.

My blood ran cold. Did that mean…? I rushed forward, winding up the spiral staircase and tearing down the hallways so fast that only a few of the others kept pace, Edward, Kate, Felix and Jasper.

I followed her scent, the trail now fresh, and found it mixed heavily with others outside a room where the door had been shattered to splinters.

I turned on Felix for answers, I didn't have time for cat-and-mouse! "Where?" I demanded.

His eyes fell on the scene of destruction before him, _"Cazzo!"_ He hissed shortly, "The ceremonial room." He spit out, "She's already there."

"Let's go." I ground out, and he tore off down to hallway. All I could think was that my angel was so close, and that something was either happening _right now_, or was about to.

I was right.

We reached a thick metal door. Felix barely stopped, but paused to rip the hinges off and toss it aside.

The first thing I saw was Aro Volturi leaning over _my angel_, poised to bite her neck, as six other cloaked figures restrained her. Restraining her! How dare they! Even lay a single hand on her, they would all pay.

My vision blurred red, and I lunged.

**

* * *

**

**Rebecca POV-**

I had my eyes shut tightly when two things, both very quick, both very important, happened at the same time.

The rain stopped, and I noticed this first because it happened first. The splatter of the drops on my skin ceased, and in the next second, as I tried to gather my thoughts about _why_ it had stopped, the door to the room was ripped from its place. In a movement so fast I could not follow it, _someone_ leapt through the doorway and slapped into Aro so quick and with so much force that the noise of the impact nearly shattered my eardrums. Aro had been so close at the time that he was hit that I, for the briefest second, felt the very edge of his teeth scrape against my neck.

Several of the bewildered guard immediately abandoned their task of restraining me, devotion to the master engrained in their minds. Aro and his attacker slammed into the opposite wall. Relief and other mixed emotions, too many for me to name, washed over me like a flood as I saw that it was Dylan, holding Aro by the neck of his cloak.

The room instantly flooded with others, I quickly registered the faces of several if not all of the Cullens and the Denalis.

Felix was here.

Without his cloak.

A pair of hands immediately released me, and I was almost shocked to see Alec throw his cloak to the ground in defiance. The water began to drain from the room through a grate in the floor, rapidly so that only a few inches were left.

The ceremonial room, a huge open space, became a battleground. Now, with only one remaining restrainer, I could move. As quickly as I could, I threw myself sideways into that last vampire, landing with one knee on his neck, hand holding his cloak. His hood flew back, the owner being Corin himself. I growled loudly and drew back my hand, planning to give him a bright fist full of flames.

He disappeared, and I cursed his gift for always giving him the upper hand.

"Becca!" I was suddenly engulfed in a desperate and strong embrace. His scent was overwhelming and made my entire frame shake at how much I had missed him, how it had _hurt_ to be separated. His lips crashed against mine frantically before he pulled back and cradled me in his arms.

"Were you hurt, are you okay, they didn't hurt you did they? I kill them." He growled lowly, his eyes the darkest shade of pure obsidian that I had ever seen in my life.

"I-I'm okay," I stammered, "Just… a little- _avviso!"_ I shouted suddenly as movement in my peripheral caught my attention. Corin had re-appeared right behind Dylan. I shouldered him so that I stood between them and ignited the torches around the walls with a mere thought. I pulled the flames to the ground, working of limited energy, so they surrounded him in a circle.

I heard Dylan growl behind me, as he engaged Demitri.

A virtual cyclone of fire engulfed Corin, but it took up almost all of my concentration, and I was straining to hold it together. Sweat poured down my face from both the heat and the effort of it, Corin was frantically stepping around in his circle. There was a cracking noise from behind me, and before I could turn, both Demtri and Dylan slammed into my back. My fire extinguished instantly, and my head smacked against the hard stone floor, light flooded my vision in a bright flash, my ears rang.

Demitri had me pinned in one of the quickest moves I could have imagined, holding me by my neck against the wall. Just like in my nightmare.

"_Tiranno._" There was a short hiss from beside me. Demtri's eyes turned a hazy grey, he gulped and shook slightly. Alec smirked beside me before swiftly throwing Demitri through the opposite wall. He stalked forward slowly like a cat as Demitri stood, and sneering at Demitri, "If you lay one hand on her again I will spend the rest of my eternity keeping you _alive_," He breathed, holding Demitri by his neck, "but torturing you to insanity." With that Alec whirled to his feet and threw Demitri clear across the room before turning to smile at me. He handed me a flask just like the one Felix had. "A gift." He smiled briefly.

"_Grazie._" I muttered, quickly drinking it and feeling my strength rush back to me.

Then, Alec dropped to the ground with a horrible shriek of pain. I whirled, turning to face none other than Jane herself. Her crimson eyes were fixed on her brother, but flickered to me.

"Jane." I ground out, "Let him go."

She glowered at me, without letting Alec free, his teeth were clamped over his lip in an attempt to remain silent. "Why should I? He is a traitor, just as you are. Traitors deserve torture. _Death_." She hissed.

"He's your _brother_!" I snapped back at her, feeling all sense or reserve and control disappear, "You would follow the orders of someone less powerful than yourself, mark that those orders are to attack your _own blood_, and yet you value his word over your family?"

She regarded me coldly, "The word of the Volturi is the word of law."

"Then it must be re-written." I shot back at her.

Alec's writhing stopped, he lay panting on the ground. Jane curled into a low crouch and stalked forward slightly, but off to one side. We were within striking distance of each other, and I coiled myself for attack as well, stepping to the opposite side. I knew that simply blasting flames at her would be both draining and incredibly ineffective. Sure, I could push her back… or she could just step to the side. So for now, it was toe-to-toe.

Nor did I want to be the first one to attack, because it is much easier to block and attack while the enemy is off balance than it is to land a clean hit on your first move.

Thankfully, or rather… possible _not_ thankfully, Jane was so angry that she made the first move.

She lunged forward, arms out, so fast that I felt her fingertips brush my shirt as I danced out of the way. She landed behind me, and lunged again as I turned and leapt just out of her reach. She flew by me as I dove, and I twisted so I was facing her, and I could see her red eyes tracking me, before acting.

I could feel the energy humming in my veins. Gritting my teeth, I forced the energy outwards through my fingers as I extended my arm.

Jane dropped to the ground with a shriek and rolled one the damp floor desperately to extinguish the flames. I took my opportunity. Leaping forward, I wrapped both of my arms around Jane's torso and quickly attempted to pin her arms. Shrieking in defiance, she twisted and kicked out at my ribs, sending me rolling backwards, clutching my stomach. My breath left me in a single whoosh, my lungs burned with need but I could not manage to breath.

"Got your back, Italy!" Garrett swooped in from absolutely nowhere, step-to-step matching Jane, her speed and pace, and forcing her back inch by inch.

I scrambled to my feet and for the first time fully took in the situation in front of me.

It was an absolute mix of chaos and organization. The Volturi itself seemed to be collapsing, first Felix, then Alec, and finally Heidi, threw their cloaks to the ground in shows of rebellion, and broken loyalty. I realized that Chelsea had been badly injured by Jasper, and concluded that this was the reason Heidi had been so furious two seconds later. The Guard were now free to feel mostly as they wished about each other and the masters. Felix had taken, and handily defeated, Renata. He had done this specifically so that Aro could be attacked. Speaking of the masters, they were finding themselves slowly being cornered. Demitri and Corin were fighting both Dylan and Kate. They were evenly matched.

I went to their aid, as most of the others had the upper hand on their opponents.

"Good to see ya', Bex!" Kate chuckled darkly as I slid in beside her, parrying a blow form Demitri, who snarled furiously at my arrival. He spewed profanities and other insults in Italian out of sheer fury.

"We have to get out of here." I hissed at Dylan, whirling to block Corin as he tried to take me by surprise.

"We're winning!" He muttered in shock.

"We can't kill them," I whispered harshly, both saddened and relived by this fact. It pained me to have to fight all of them, but at the same time… they were cruel, "if you remove the vampire world's center of law, who will rule? Who will keep balance? We can't destroy the leaders when we have no replacement."

He was speechless for a second as he continued to slowly out-maneuver Demitri, then managed a defeated sigh, "You're right. It's infuriating to know that no matter how badly I want to kill them all, I shouldn't, but you're right."

Kate nodded stiffly, in approval, as well.

"Pull back!" Dylan called, at the very same moment he grabbed Demitri's arm mid-strike and threw him to the floor, with another hand around his neck. Some of our fighters looked up in surprise.

"You heard the man!" I called, covering Kate's flank as Corin attacked repeatedly.

"Pull back, now, we have what we came for, we do not need a victory that will be a consequence for the rest of the world!" Dylan's voice was loud and commanding.

Slowly, our numbers pulled back, defending themselves as they went because the Guard did not let up. Among our ranks were three additions, Felix, Alec and Heidi, all slightly battered but looking very pleased with themselves.

"Do not let them escape! Flood the tunnels!" Aro ordered from across the hall.

"_Let's go!_" I hissed, grabbing Kate by the wrist and plunging back down into the hallways, Dylan two steps to my left. Alarms sounded in the castle. The dams on the rivers were being let down, the tunnels would flood completely thousands of tons of rapid water in less than two minutes.

There were running footsteps behind me, making me constantly look over my shoulder to see if it was friend of foe. Whipping around one corner, I turned and saw the blurred figure of Chelsea mid-lounge. Flames exploded forth from my fingertips. I rolled up onto one leg and twirled around fast, letting one arm fly with my motion, and whip a line of fire down the hall. Something exploded.

I turned and sprinted after the group, I had fallen behind.

"Gotcha!" Emmett had come up behind me fast, and wrapped one arm around my waist, picking me up and slinging me onto his back. He winked at me, "Told you I could take 'em on." He smirked.

I wasn't in a laughing mood, but rather felt the blood draining from my face. My body ached, my head spun and we were facing a timeline ticking away by the second. Emmett rapidly caught up to Carlisle, Dylan and Alec, who were leading the way though the winding hallways. Soon, we were shooting down a spiraling stairway.

"Stop!" I cried out to Emmett as his shoes hit the ground in the tunnel. I slipped from his back and ran to the opposite side of the stairs.

He was curled up there, same as when I first found him, but now seemed much paler. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to, they made me do it!" He whimpered. I could see a mottled bruise on his face, his lip was split and bloody.

"Teddy, I'm taking you out of here with me." I whispered gently, picking him up.

"Who's this?" Kate asked while glancing at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern for his condition.

"He's like me, the Voltrui were using him." I said quickly.

Kate smiled at him warmly, "Here, I've got him, you must be exhausted." She said.

"Thanks." I murmured as she carefully scooped him up. Even though he must have been around six, he seemed so tiny and young. I wondered if I had been like that…

We sped down the tunnel, as fast as my legs would take me, I could feel my heart thudding. The ladder leading to the reception area and the main exit weren't that far away. I could practically taste the free air. It was a surreal moment, and even though I was so close, I felt as though I had my freedom in my hand or perhaps running alongside me.

I was so convinced… that everything was just, just… _over_.

So close! I would do anything for it, I'd never felt so determined and driven in my entire life. For Teddy, for Dylan, for Carlisle and my promise, for Garrett, for Heidi, Alec and Felix… for Savel back home, for _myself_, for everything I'd always dreamed of that was always just beyond my grasp. I felt the strength, not muscle strength, but in my heart, to keep going, to keep pushing and fighting no matter what. I _could_ make it, I _would _make it.

Movement caught my eye as we sped towards the ladder. It was surrounded by a ring of light, like a beacon of security. Curious, I watched the slight wisp of grayish air speed along with us, and up to Carlisle who was leading. I sped up slightly, running behind Carlisle, Dylan and Edward. They didn't notice it… so what was it…?

There was no warning. It was completely unforeseen, even with a psychic and a mind-reader. But of course, with his gift… it would be. There wasn't time for shouting, for warnings. But there was enough time for action.

Corin.

He slipped from the shadows, the change in the air had been him, a slight flaw in his invisibility. He had positioned himself perfectly behind the leader of the Cullens himself, and then coiled to lunge. As he appeared, grey cloak swirling slightly as he prepared to lunge for a kill, I felt myself coil as well.

Without thought, I threw myself forward.

Corin collided with me instead of him.

There was a sharp pain in the side of my head, like part of my skull had shattered into tiny pieces. An sensation like an electric shock shot down my spine.

I remembered being on the ground, frantic voices shouting in both English and Italian. There was a terrible high pitched keening noise, and feet scuffled in front of my blurred vision. Breath became harder and harder, like the air was turning to water. The taste of blood was heavy in my mouth.

Then, I was weightless, and I could vaguely feel my head lolling to one side. It was like my entire body was slowly going numb, receding towards my heart.

I knew we were out of the castle, I would have been underwater by now if we weren't. That thought gave me small comfort as the world drifted out of focus. I could see a carved black charm, hanging from a necklace… someone was kneeling on the ground, holding me.

A bold mountain lion, standing proudly on the edge of a cliff, tail curling around him in mid-roar, he was carved into black stone. Something cold touched my hand. Dylan. I sighed, he was okay.

Everything would be fine… I just needed to… sleep… for a little…

_I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees._

**

* * *

**

***Authors Note-**

**My apologies for the long wait, I have a life :P So I figured this extra-long chapter might make up for it.**

**Anywho, for any of you who are confused… I figured I'd be helpful and do a small recap on important facts:**

**-Garrett and Rebecca made up**

**-Rebecca helped to save Irina, but ended up trading herself for Renesmee's safety to the Volturi**

**-The Voltrui needed Bex to be healthy before they change her**

**-The Voltrui also had in their possession a hybrid by the name of Teddy who manipulates weather, who is now with the Cullens after the rescue**

**-Because of Rebecca's condition as a hybrid, her health is unpredictable, and her reaction to injuries can be severe**

**-Felix left the Volturi first, followed by Alec and Heidi after Chelsea was wounded and could no longer force them to be loyal**

**-Rebecca gave Dylan a craved black necklace with several beads for Christmas, it holds sentimental value for both of them. (ooooh, I can use symbolism :P )**

**Review if you liked it, or if you have questions!**

**-Zeri**


	41. Chapter 40 Sacrifices

_Sorry for the delay... again. Yeah, I'm hating the fact that I can't update as much, I decided to take an extra class in the spring for an art credit, so I have to stay at school a lot. Sorry lovelies :( _

_Anywho, same old some old..._

**Disclaimer: Yeah, at this point... you should all know I don't own Twilight, though I wish I did because then I wouldn't have to work part time at some stupid old book shop that smells like feet.**_  
_

* * *

Chapter 40- Sacrifices

**Felix POV-**

I didn't want to think about the consequences of what I'd just done. I got Rebecca out, that was all that mattered. I cared about her, not Aro.

I repeated this mantra over and over as I ran and pondered what I would do with my newfound freedom.

Suddenly, there was a shriek from the very front of the group, and everyone stopped running. I skidded to a stop just behind the Cullen by the name of Rosalie.

I saw Corin, being flipped to the ground and having his arm ripped off by Jasper. I was about to help him when Corin hit the ground, and something splattered onto my face and arm. I felt my eyes widened, and I jerked backwards in shock. There… there was no _way!_ This couldn't be happening.

It just… it couldn't be her blood. I refused to move my lips, fearing the drop on them would fall into my mouth and that the taste would confirm it really _would_ be hers. It simply couldn't be. Out of anyone, out of everyone… my little sister…

Something in my brain clicked again and I snapped out of my frozen state, rushing forward. Corin was all but finished, still I managed to wrap my hands around his neck in fury.

"_What did you do?_" I snarled at him, "You sick bastard, she never hurt you! She never broke a law, never did _anything!_ She was _our sister!_" I wanted so badly to kill him, but I couldn't. Garrett, the nomad, gently pulled me back so that Jasper could finish him.

"Take it easy, Felix, you won't help Rebecca by losing it now." He told me. I was shaking. He eyed me with slight concern.

"Easy, easy, don't jostle her." Carlisle's voice was like a red flag.

Rebecca was on the ground. A tiny whimper of pain rose from her lips. Though her eyes were open, they rolled back in her head and closed not a split second later. Her mate kneeled next to her, carefully pulling her limp figure into his arms. Corin did this… _what had he done?_

"We have to move." Edward Cullen stated solemnly. Dylan looked up,

"Her spine-…" He choked out. I was floored. I'd missed something, I'd missed a threat. Hadn't I been trained to see everything? Rebecca could die… could she? Heidi was standing beside me, all but shaking in anxiety and fear. She slipped her hand into mine and bit her lip, repressing racking dry sobs. Alec stood to my other side, shocked and shaken. This was so much change and shock for one day.

"She'll be okay," Carlisle placed his hand on Dylan's shoulder, steadying him, "We have to move her."

Her mate lifted her carefully, leaving a pool of blood that she had been lying in… that Corin had landed in when Jasper pinned him after he hit her… that had splattered onto me.

One by one, we climbed the ladder, Dylan carefully handing Rebecca to Edward before he climbed. There was silence as we ran from the castle, into the city. The psychic had arranged a private flight back, to be flown by Kate Denali (the only pilot among us). As we reached the tiny hanger, it was nearly dark.

"Should we wait here…?" Dylan asked once we arrived.

"For what?" Carlisle asked sadly.

"She could wake up… can't we do something _now_?" He sounded pleading.

"There's medical supplies on the plane, son, if we stay here, the rest of the Volturi may catch up to us."

I'll never get over how broken she looked, dangling in his arms.

I rubbed Heidi's back in a distant attempt to comfort her as she began to break down. I watched the small boy, Theodore, watch Dylan with distant eyes. If the world has justice, he would never go through what my sister had to go through.

* * *

**Rebecca POV-**

I've once heard it said that struggle makes one stronger. For some reason, I found myself thinking that when I woke up, I had to tell Dylan that I loved him. Maybe he didn't know, I had told him before… but perhaps I'd never realized how much I meant it.

I couldn't live without him, he was my everything, my light and my savior.

He saved my life many times over. Not from any person specifically, though he had done that as well I think, but from me. He saved me from falling apart.

Perhaps I'd spent so long not trusting that I never fully realized how _much_ I loved him.

I then remembered my head aching, then my neck, and my entire body. I wondered why it all hurt. I didn't understand why it did, or why it was progressively getting worse. I could smell Dylan, was he next to me? Was I asleep?

I tiny moan of pain escaped me, and I felt a hand squeeze mine. Without looking, I knew who it was.

"Becca." The voice was quiet, his breath a light pressure on my skin.

I willed my eyes to open. It was like swimming to the surface of the ocean from a great depth, fighting off the dreary haze that was unconsciousness. My vision was out of focus and blurry, but I was awake.

"Dylan…?" I murmured.

"Thank god." He exhaled, like he had been holding his breath for a century, "Oh, thank god, she's awake." He called to someone else. He took my hand in both of his, "Stay awake, Bex, please stay with me. Can you hear me, angel?"

I nodded mutely, squeezing my eyes shut as the pain in my head and neck began to sharpen and burn.

"What's wrong?" He asked me, panic in his voice mixed with pain.

"It hurts." I grumbled, shifting slightly on what I was laying on and immediately regretting it. A searing sensation shot down my spine, making every single muscle in my back tighten and clench. I held my teeth tightly to suppress a yelp. I heard a quiet, muffled hiss, and opened one eye to see Dylan with his head hung and the muscles in his neck clenched.

I had been crushing his hand.

"Sorry." I forced through my teeth and relaxed my arm.

"No, it's fine, really." He said quickly, rubbing my hand with his thumb, "H-…" He started to say something but for some reason thought to stop.

Edward stood up from somewhere behind us, "He was going to ask how you're feeling, but decided it was a stupid question." He said with a flat voice.

My head was pounding, every noise seemed warped but I at least could tell we were in something with a loud engine.

"I-…" I struggled to clear my head, "My head hurts… my back, too." A thought occurred to me, that though I could force blurry memories of escaping Volterra, I had no grasp of details. "What happened?"

Dylan gave me a pained look, and gently stroked my cheek, "Corin took us all by surprise." His voice was dry and raspy, "You… somehow you noticed before the rest of us, before he made his move. I-I didn't see that he was going after Carlisle… or that you were-" He paused, pursing his lips as if he was gathering his thoughts, "You jumped in between them… and, and he hit you… uh, sort of side-on, mostly your neck, shoulder, side of your head…" He looked away, "And you hit the ground… really hard. There was so much blood." His throat constricted, cutting off the last of his breath as he spoke.

I squeezed his hand gently, "Hey… it wasn't your fault, and I'm okay." I murmured.

He grimaced at the word 'okay'.

"Rebecca," Carlisle was standing next to Dylan, I hadn't noticed him before, "I don't know that I can express how thankful I am for what you did. It was incredibly brave and selfless. I'm in debt to you." He said sincerely.

I forced a smile despite the pain in my head, "No, we're even." I rasped out.

His lips twitched slightly in a smile. "I am, at the very least, amazed at your bodies healing process." He said with genuine interest and enthusiasm, "A human would have died instantly… and your injuries were severe," His tone was more serious, "Numerous spinal fractures, stress breaks, a nearly shattered collar-bone, broken neck, cracked skull, dislocated shoulder…" He was very grave now, and Dylan was shaking slightly, "almost every bone on the right side of your body was broken, the ones in your arm shattered."

I blinked.

What?

Broken… broken bones and spinal fractures, cracked… skull? None of that seemed real. And the blood loss, my body should've… tried to rebalance itself, the venom would have overrun my system…

It didn't make sense.

I blinked rapidly, until my eyes could focus and craned my neck slightly. A burning sensation shot down my spine, but I had to see.

My right arm was in a long white cast, all the way up to my shoulder, which was bound up on a sling. There was bandages on my neck, and I could feel stitches on the back of my head. Stitches crossed my abdomen, my ribs were marked with mottled black marks as if they had been crushed.

"T-that doesn't… make sense." I stammered.

Carlisle pursed his lips, "I have a theory… which is supported by a few blood tests I ran." He said slowly, "But… there is information missing." He paused before saying 'information'.

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling myself curl away from him slightly, as if he was saying something was wrong with me.

"The amount of venom in your blood is significantly lower than it should be. Instead of a fifty to fifty balance, the blood I examined showed an eighty-five to fifteen ratio. There was also a slight trace of some kind of chemical, but it was fading by the time I identified its presence and I couldn't analyze it fully." He explained carefully, eyes watching as if he was gauging my reaction.

When I was silent, he continued.

"Rebecca, it's my theory that this… chemical burned off and destroyed much of the venom in your system. It would explain why you're healing slower and why your venom hasn't healed you." He added, and again I was silent.

"Bex…" Dylan said softly, "What he means to ask is if the Volturi could've been dosing you. Do you remember anything about that?"

I stiffened. It _would_ explain a lot of things. I let out a shaky breath, if Corin… if what he'd done, what if what he'd been injecting me with caused permanent damage? He wouldn't have considered it. Why would he or Aro care if they were slowly killing me? It was their intention to change me soon anyways, so they could have slowly fed me mercury and not have cared about the consequences. My god… what if it was poisonous? Felix had said that I was being dosed in tremendous concentrations… that would kill a human!

"She's freaking out." Jasper murmured.

I took a deep breath, Dylan gently rubbed my good shoulder.

"Rebecca?" Carlisle asked gently.

"Yeah," I murmured, rubbing my cheek, "Yeah, they were… umm, using laudanum to keep me mostly… unconscious, or at least so I couldn't use my gift." I whispered.

Carlisle put his hand on my knee comfortingly, "I'm sorry for what they did to you. I'm sorry that you had to go with them to protect our family."

"S'okay." I muttered, folding my good arm over across my stomach.

"How much?" Carlisle asked.

"Uhm… I don't know for sure, I wasn't exactly awake for most of the time, but Felix said something like ninety milligrams every six hours." I said slowly, staring at my hands.

"Ninety milligrams, are you sure?" Carlisle asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah, that I'm sure of."

"You're lucky to be alive." Carlisle shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm aware." I sighed, "How does… all that, effect…?" I trailed off, not even sure what I was asking.

"Laudanum works as a sedative for humans because it suppresses brain activity and basic functions. The Volturi once used it on one of their secretaries who had been turned into a werewolf, so they say, and it repressed their ability to change. However, it also stopped the poor creatures heart two weeks later." Carlisle said seriously, "My opinion is that they selected the drug because they knew it would suppress your gift, but what they didn't know was that it suppressed the venom cells in your blood. It explains the traces of chemicals in your bloodstream."

I swallowed, feeling z lump in my throat stick. "W-well… what's that mean, then?" I asked quietly, my voice breaking on the last syllable.

"I suppose… that it will just take longer for you to heal until your body produces more venom." Carlisle said uneasily.

"And then what?"

"I don't know." He frowned.

"Oh."

I looked down at Dylan, who gave me a small smile of encouragement.

"Everyone else is okay," Dylan said, and I couldn't help but smile at that, "And Teddy has taken a strong attachment to Heidi and Felix."

"Really?" I asked, feeling my lips tug into a smile and a small laugh.

"Yeah, he keeps changing the darn weather though, it's making the plane's electronics have a nervous meltdown." Dylan seemed to relax as I did.

"That's good." I murmured softly, "He needs a place where he can feel at home, with people who care about him."

Dylan gave me a quizzical look, "You think they'll get along?"

I paused, "Felix… he's really smarter than you give him credit for. He sees himself in Teddy, his childhood. Remember, everyone of the Guard had their lives taken from them in one way or another. Felix felt so guilty after what happened to me that he swore that no one would ever lose the opportunity to live their own life because of the Volturi. Teddy is like his… second chance as a big brother, he thinks he failed with me." I said with a sad smile. Felix truly did feel guilty for what happened to me, though none of it was his fault. He was the reason I found my Cullens, why I was free.

"He's a good man." Dylan noted sincerely, gazing down the length of the airplane. "Honestly, I didn't like him at first, but he's a real good character, honest and pretty darn cool, too."

"Yeah," I smiled, happy the two of them could finally see eye-to-eye, "I'm glad you get along."

"Well, at first he threatened to kill me, but he got over it." Dylan chuckled. I groaned.

"He's so overprotective."

"Maybe it's because you're worth protecting." He smiled broadly and leaned back slightly against the couch, his head rested on my stomach lightly.

"Mmm…" I hummed happily, feeling my eyelids droop.

"Sleep, we won't land for another couple of hours." Dylan assured me.

"What about the Volturi?" I asked quietly, worry creeping back into my voice.

"Everything is fine, Becca. They won't dare come after us again, I promise."

I relaxed against the bench that was built into the wall of the plane. Softened by blankets, I comfortably fell asleep, safe and free, flying through open skies at hundreds of miles per hour.

Did it even seem real…?

Could it be possible that I never had to worry about the Volturi anymore?

No, it didn't seem real. It was _surreal_, a natural, blissful high.

But who was I to question it? Everything was perfect as it was.

* * *

**I know it's short but I hope you liked it and I promise the next chapter will be longer! Read and review please, thanks to all who reviewed last chapter!**

**-Zeri**


	42. Chapter 41 All I Am Is Who You Are

**Chapter 41- All I Am Is What You Are**

* * *

_I have been here many times before…_

_Hurt myself again today._

_And the worst part is there is no one else to blame._

_Be my friend,_

_Hold me,_

_Wrap me up, unfold me…_

_I am small,_

_I'm needy,_

_Warm me up…_

_And breathe me._

* * *

**Rebecca POV-**

The airplane landed without problems despite Teddy constantly changing the weather. Despite my weak protests, I was carried off the plane in Dylan's arms.

"_Sei ridicolo_." I grumbled as we pulled up to the Cullen's home and Dylan quickly hopped out of the car. He'd done this at the airport as well, though it was a private airport. I didn't really need to be carried, he was being incredibly smug about it though.

"I have no idea what that means." He smiled down at me with a glowing expression, smirking as he opened the car door for me.

"_Ridicolo_." I grumbled, repeating that he was being utterly ridiculous.

"Ti amo." He chuckled, quickly picking me up into his arms again.

"Is that the only Italian you know?" I demanded shortly.

"Si." He said slowly, but it sounded a bit more like Spanish when he said it.

I grumbled a few choice oaths under my breath as he managed to open the door and carry me in one hand.

"Rebecca!" The blurred figure of Irina Denali ran towards me from somewhere in the house. She looked both sad and relieved. Seeing her made me feel slightly uncomfortable. She'd put us all in danger, including Dylan her own brother… but in some ways I could understand in a way. If I ever lost Dylan… I knew I would lose myself seeking my revenge.

She stopped short, her mouth forming a surprised 'o'. "Oh… oh I'm… I'm so sorry, I'm _so sorry_." She whimpered.

I met Dylan's eyes briefly and he set me down gently, but still held onto my left hand, as it kept my arm over his shoulders for support. "I didn't think I looked that bad." I said calmly, controlling my tone so I didn't let the pain from my injuries leak into it. My back and neck throbbed, but letting Dylan know that wouldn't get me anywhere except lying on the couch for the next three hours.

"I-… well, that's not what I meant, really." She stuttered.

"It's alright, really." I said before she could apologize again, "Nobody died except for Renata so I'm not at a loss." I composed myself, forcing Renata's final expression of horror from my mind. Jasper walked up behind me and paused unexpectedly.

"Don't feel guilty," He said quietly, "We did what was necessary."

"I regret nothing that happened." I breathed quickly.

"I'm sorry, truly, I am." Irina murmured.

"I forgive you. It would have happened anyways, considering my predicament."

"Thank you for saving me."

I smiled at her, "It was the least I could do."

"No. It was beyond anything I could have expected for you to extend such a kindness to me."

I blinked, the look in her eyes was the deepest self loathing I had ever seen. She truly believed that she didn't deserve to be saved.

"We are family. Nothing else matters." I said seriously, searching her expression, "I've found that statement to be more true than any other thing in life."

She looked up at me, shocked, there was still darkness in her eyes, but also sparks of hope. "Thank you." She said, her voice wobbling with emotion.

She quickly disappeared into another room, most likely to speak with her sisters.

"That was incredibly kind of you." Dylan murmured, his eyes were a shimmering shade of deep amber, he hadn't hunted in a while.

"I do what I can." I sighed, wincing as I rubbed the back of my neck, causing Dylan to grimace, all traces of his smile disappearing instantly.

"You should rest." He said seriously.

Oops.

I felt my eyebrows twitch in irritation, "That's all I've done since I woke up." I muttered, "_Rest_. Like… some useless invalid!"

He sighed, "Becca… you're injured, and I know that you're tired, please don't strain yourself."

I hated that. I hated being injured, being treated like I was fragile… and it had always been a sore spot, growing up with vampires it came up a lot. So I hated hearing it, because I'd always wanted to be just as strong as they were.

But I guess I didn't need to try to do that anymore. Who was I trying to please now? Not the masters. No. I was free from them. _Free._ So I could act without considering whether or not it would please them, or comparing myself to vampires and humans. I could just… live, pick what was best for me. That was what Dylan had been trying to get me to do all along whenever he told me not to compare myself to humans or vampires.

I used to say that I was half and half, he'd always correct me by saying I was unique, and neither.

Now, I could see what he meant.

I let out a long breath, "I guess it wouldn't hurt me to just… relax for a while." I muttered.

In all truthfulness, he was right. My body ached all over… I was exhausted. I may have fallen over on the spot if Dylan wasn't standing next to me.

"Thanks." I mumbled, trying to keep myself from collapsing.

"Not tired, sure." He chuckled and picked me up in his arms again.

"_BEX!"_ A familiar booing voice shouted as I was quickly set down on the couch, and then sat up despite Dylan's protest.

"Felix!" I cheered, hugging him back tightly as he all but squished me like a fluffy pillow.

"Hey, monkey." He chuckled and ruffled my hair, "Jeez, you looked like you were in a rough spot there for a while. You had as all worried. And, frankly, you looked like shit!" He was grinning like a buffoon.

"Yeah." I croaked, my throat was dry, "Sorry, I do stupid things sometimes."

"I already knew that." Felix chuckled, "But, hey, Teddy's doing great!"

I felt a crazy smile breaking across my face, "Teddy's okay?"

"Yeah. He's upstairs in your room playing with that fur-ball thing of yours." Felix sniffed, "I never thought of you as a dog person."

I chuckled quietly to myself, "She's quiet the good traveling companion." I said, "Very affectionate, a lighter sleeper than I am, wicked good hunter and she prefers vampires to werewolves." I smiled.

Felix grinned slightly, "But she doesn't come when called…" He muttered.

"To you." I scoffed and whistled loudly, "Sav!"

There was several loud thudding sounds from upstairs and the sound of excited laughter. Edward emerged from the living room into the lounge grinning. He put his hand on my shoulder with a smile, "Teddy and Renesmee are utterly fascinated with your dog."

"Doggy whooaaaaa!" I heard Teddy's voice shriek as he giggled. Savel bolted around the corner, with a small boy in tow as he held tightly to her fur with his arms around her torso. My pup had grown significantly since I last seen her and I was surprised that that she could tow a child. So, all seventy some-odd pounds of my grown up pup landed in my lap with a small boy following suit and tumbling over me with a loud 'oof!' onto the couch.

Sav was immediately laying on me, licking my face and my neck ecstatically and barking loudly, her tail blurred back and forth.

Now it was my turn to go, 'oof!', and I did. But I quickly wrapped my arms around my pup before any of the others in the room could take her away because they were worried about me.

I exhaled a long breath that somehow felt like I had been holding it for years. "Sav." I muttered, burying my face in her fur. I felt Dylan sit down on the couch next to me and rub my shoulders gently. I wasn't going to cry, but for some reason I felt… _joyful_. I reached over and took Dylan's hand, tilting my head so I could smile at him.

"I'm… I'm alive." I whispered.

Dylan squeezed my hand and blinked slowly, like he didn't quite understand and was waiting for me to say something.

"Thank you." I said softly.

His eyes sparked, "Rebecca…" His voice was low and rough as though he his throat was dry, "Rebecca Arianna Medachi, I would… do _anything_ for you." His hand brushed against the mark Santiago had left on my cheek, "Did you really… think I wouldn't come for you?"

I swallowed, "I… well, no. I mean, I believed in you the whole time… when I was… thinking clearly. But, that doesn't mean that it was a relaxing vacation at castle Volterra." I muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

Dylan looked pained, "I'm sorry. I wish I could have personally destroyed every single one of them that laid their hands on you." He said sadly.

"You and I both know that we can't destroy the ruling family without a replacement." I said with a small smile.

He growled quietly glowering at the floor and I could see his eyes turn black as pitch, "They hurt you." He shook slightly in his anger, "_No one…_ should be allowed to hurt you and live." He snarled out the last word, before looking up at me sharply, "I love you, and I will _always_ love you, you are my reason for existence. I would have swam to Italy all by my fucking self if I had to, even if that meant I would probably die trying to get to you. Before I met you…" He paused pursing his lips and I noticed that almost everyone else had left the room, except for Teddy who had suspiciously fallen fast asleep next to Savel, "I was… I was a screwed up kid. I didn't know who I was, hell I couldn't even stick to the Cullens diet for more than a month. I had to be kept away from the town, in the middle of the woods and out of sight and I still managed to slip up. And now, I don't even have to try. Everything is easier with you around, and when you're gone I feel hollow. You don't have to thank me for what I did, because it wasn't enough." He muttered.

"Not even damn close." He sighed.

I was about to say something so mushy and heartfelt it made my stomach turn over, but it was true and I needed to say it, "Dylan, what you did for me is more than anyone else has ever done for me. And I love you, and knowing that you love me is all that I need."

He sighed and thoughtfully patted Savel's back, "I just wish I could have gotten there sooner."

I paused, seeing his expression. He was so pained, hurt by the knowledge that he had failed to protect me. But… he had done more than I thought possible. Without the numbers and planning he had, without all the careful steps and motions he had set in place, he would have failed. And we would have all died.

"If you had… of you had rushed in and tried to free me yourself, you would have been killed." I said quietly.

He blinked and quickly maneuvered around Savel and Teddy to sit next to me. Hesitantly, he traced the scars on my cheek down to my neck, "I never stopped thinking about you." He whispered.

I felt my heart swell, my time in Volterra had briefly made me doubt whether or not Dylan was coming. It was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life, drugged or not.

He held my face in his hands and pressed his forehead against mine, "I never want to lose you like that again."

I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. I wrapped my arms tightly around him and pressed my cheek against his shoulder, I cried. And he just held me, one hand wrapped around my wais the other pressed against my hair. Briefly, memories of what happened in Volterra danced behind my eyelids, making me shiver and recoil. But with Dylan holding me, they couldn't stay.

We stayed that way for a long time, just trying to stay close to each other. I don't know how long passed before Carlisle walked into the room, but it was long enough that I had become drowsy. In fact, I was half asleep, comfortably snuggled against his chest.

"Dylan," Carlisle whispered, so as not to disturb me.

"I know, Carlisle, I know." Dylan murmured, stroking my hair. He thought I was asleep as well.

"We don't know the full extent of her injuries."

"Do you really think it's such a good idea to make her relive all that so soon?"

"No. No, I don't, but I don't think it's wise to leave some questions unanswered if that could mean risking her life."

"I…"

"It wasn't your fault Dylan. We were outmaneuvered, and none of us felt good about having to lose her to keep Renesmee safe."

"Just thinking about what they could have done to her… what they might have _done_…"

"You don't know what they did, which is all the more reason to find out the extent of the damage."

"But there is damage."

"Yes."

"Just because she's different. This whole mess… everything, starting way back in Italy, it was all because she is _different_ and they can't accept it!"

"But you do, and we all do, and she needs to hear that right now. She needs you."

"… I know." Dylan finally breathed after a long pause.

There was another pause and I heard Dylan sigh. I hadn't exactly been awake during their conversation, but I wasn't asleep either. So when Dylan stroked my cheek and whispered in my ear, "Rebecca?" my eyes were open immediately.

"Did you hear all that?" He asked softly.

"Sort of… I was half-asleep." I muttered lamely.

We went upstairs to what was basically what I dubbed the 'medical room', which had primarily been used for Bella while she was human.

"Rebecca, I know that this may be hard for you, but to ensure your health and safety going forward I need you to tell me… well, the extent of your injuries, no matter how small or superficial they seem to you." Carlisle said seriously.

I sat there and stared at him for a while. Not really staring at him, but just looking at him with an empty and dead expression. In my mind I was reliving flickers of my memories from Volterra. I had thought that the physical injury would be the only burden I would bare, however… I was finding that there were emotional marks as well. The mention of my experiences set me on edge, just beginning to think about them, made me nervous. Why?

Because… deep down, I had still trusted many of the Volturi. For years I had clung to some hope that they were the righteous and kind leaders that I always dreamed they were.

And I'd had that last trust shattered in the most painful way.

"Take all the time you need, angel." Dylan murmured, his hands running up and down my shoulders in an expression of comfort.

I blinked, breaking my gaze from Carlisle and leaned into my savior, he was a safe haven.

"Um, well… besides what you know from Corin's attack," I murmured, rubbing my forehead, "There was… well, Corin tried to drown me."

"He _what?_" Dylan snarled.

"Well… he wasn't very good at it." I murmured quietly.

"How did you feel directly after that?" Carlisle asked as Dylan continued to quake with fury by my side, "Any blurry vision or confusion?"

"Well, yeah. But I suppose you might also attribute that to being drugged up all the time." I sighed, "Ahm, I think I cracked a few ribs… well, actually, a lot of ribs… more than once. And ahm," I paused cringing into Dylan a little as I thought about Santiago. I had trusted him, more so than the rest of the guard but not as much as Felix, Alec and Heidi, my guard. "well, Caius interrogated me, if you'd like to call it that. It… didn't turn out to well."

Dylan groaned softly, I felt his hand brush against the bruise on my cheek, "I'll kill him." He hissed.

"Yeah, well, good luck with _that_." I muttered sulkily before turning back to Carlisle, "I imagine the result of our talk was… more broken ribs and a concussion. Possibly a fractured tibia."

Carlisle nodded solemnly. With my permission, he examined me. Which was… well, difficult for me, because feeling his cold fingers prod at my ribs made me rather squeamish while feeling Dylan's cool hands rubbed mine. I ended up having to have my back examined as well, which was significantly more painful.

My spine was severely injured from taking that hit from Corin, and I couldn't maneuver very well. In the process of turning over so Carlisle could check my spine, Dylan actually had to help me. And I was biting back tears from the pain of it. Carlisle was as gentle as possible, but I still whimpered. Dylan smoothed my hair and whispered, 'I love you' in my ear throughout the whole process. But Carlisle wasn't done.

He explained to me the necessity of taking a chest x-ray to see the true extent of the damage. So, he had the x-ray machine and with some fair amount of struggle on my part to stand up straight without tearing up.

However… seeing the x-ray did make my skin crawl. It looked like a cracked and shattered puzzle that had been lazily pieced back together. Ten of my ribs were cracked, six badly so, and three of those in multiple places.

"It explains the breathing problems you've been having. Rib fractures are generally a minor injury… but is this multitude, you're very lucky that your lungs weren't punctured by the fractured bones at all." Carlisle said gently, offering me another dosage of pain pills.

"How long will it take to heal, do you think?" I asked.

"With your increased healing rate… just a few days, hopefully." He said and I felt optimism coming back to me, "But, that in itself presents another problem."

"What do you mean?"

"The levels of venom in your blood are fluctuating right now, because the drugs repressed them… but as your body goes through it's normal healing process, it produces more venom. Which in turn speeds the healing process, but because the drugs still linger in your system, they burn off the venom." Carlisle explained.

I stiffened, "So… your saying… that as fast as my body is healing itself, it's burning off the venom that's helping me heal?" I asked, confused.

"How is that possible, vampire venom is supposed to be stronger than any other substance in the body." Dylan demanded.

"Except when it's diluted, Rebecca is a hybrid, so too is her venom." Carlisle said seriously, "She should heal at a rapid speed, but the side effects may be a spike in venom levels in her bloodstream…"

"Which would be… really, really painful." I breathed. Dylan squeezed my hand reassuringly, and I knew that he was thinking that he couldn't let that happen to me again. But what could he do? This wasn't a problem that meant there was an enemy, this was something wrong with _me_.

"So, what can we do for now?" Dylan demanded.

"Well, mostly just wait and closely observe," Carlisle explained, "The only other option to ensure your total safety would be to change you permanently."

"No!" I said quickly, almost panicking, imagining myself with bright crimson eyes… a never ending hunger… a monster. Worse than I already was.

"It may be the only w-"

"IT'S NOT!" I shrieked, unwilling to hear what he had to say, "It's… it's just not."

"Sh, it's alright, we don't even have to think about that. You'll be okay, I promise." Dylan soothed me.

… would I?

Downstairs, Rosalie gave me a look so full of pity and sorrow I wanted to hurl. Everyone was looking at me, Heidi squeezed my shoulder and looked like she was going to say something but decided better of it. Alec kept his distance, knowing it was what I wanted (save for Dylan). The werewolves were somewhere in the other room, Jacob keeping Nessie entertained and Teddy tagging along. The rest of the Cullens and the Denalis (Garrett was now a Denali in all but name) were scattered throughout the house. They had all no doubt heard the conversation between Carlisle and I.

The thought alone made me want to implode.

Dylan nudged me gently, "Let's get out of here, catch some fresh air." He whispered in my air.

"What do you mean?" I whispered back.

He smiled, a smile full of life and mischief, happiness… it made my heart skip a beat.

"Just go with it." He smirked, and in a flash had swing me onto his back and sprinted out the front door. The wind whipped by at impossible speeds, it was exhilarating and made me wish I could run as fast as he could. Sure, I could run… but not as quickly, as smoothly… as _gracefully_, as Dylan was running.

"Where are we going?" I called out, burying my face in his shoulder to keep my hair from whipping around in my face.

"Somewhere special." He called back over the whistling noise of the wind.

I smiled to myself and wrapped my arms around him tighter, snuggling my face into the crook of his neck, getting comfortable to enjoy the run.

The longer he ran, the more the trail curved up into the mountains, and the blur of green vegetation turned to sharp and contrasting mountains springing forward from the earth. Soon enough, we were out of the trees and cool mountain air was wrapping around us. Without jostling the arm that was in a cast, I wiggled around a bit so I could have a better look around.

I gasped. "The peak meadow?"

"The peak meadow." Dylan grinned, as he veered sharply up the steepest and most angular peak in the entire mountain range. He moved with perfect grace, agility and strength far exceeding that of any creature on the earth. He slowed just before reaching the top. Standing on the ledge, he gently set me on my feet.

I forgot how much I adored his eyes, before this entire mess happened, before all the stress… how much I loved to just loose myself in his eyes. They were a brilliant sparkling topaz color, with tiny specks of deep amber scattered throughout. Amber. It was a warm color. It suited him, his eyes were never totally one color, complex…

Lifting me up, he spun us both around before leaning against the cairn in the center of the meadow. He leaned down and plucked something from the grass, sweeping it into my hair and tucking it behind my ear.

"Purple flowers." He murmured softly, "I love the way they look in your hair."

I smiled, "What brought this on?"

"What?" He asked innocently.

"All… this, this… sudden whim to be incredibly sweet and romantic." I pressed.

"So… I'm succeeding." He smirked, "Do you know what today is?"

"No."

"It's February fourteenth, Bex." Dylan said. I stared at him blankly. "It's Valentine's Day."

"Oh." I breathed. "_Oh._"

He chuckled at my realization, "You forgot." It wasn't an accusation, it was a statement of fact.

"I… uh… never really-" I stuttered lamely.

"Celebrated holidays or kept track of them?" He offered, "I know. So this is your first real Valentine's Day, and I'm spending it with you."

"God, I love you." I said, placing my hands on his shoulders (one arm crooked thanks to my stupid cast). He happily leaned down to kiss me, his hands resting lightly on my hips. He smiled against my lips. For what seemed like forever, we stayed there, just kissing. I'd missed him so much, but being near him again was like putting a filling into some unseen hole in my heart.

I knew for sure then… Dylan was my one and only. We were supposed to be together, destined… like some storybook fairytale that I refused to believe in. Until I met him. We were meant to be, he was my mate, my soul mate.

* * *

**Dylan POV-**

I had so hoped that my idea to bring her back up to my meadow would make her happier. And it did, and I felt like I was back in high-school again, doing some kind of goofy fist-pump in a hallway because the girl I liked actually talked to me.

Even though reality was so much better.

She was amazing, so resilient… but still so loving. She was warm, and soft… but not so much that my throat burned when she was close to me.

Even if I couldn't prevent what had happen to her… I wanted to make it up to her.

I loved her, and I'd never _loved_ anyone before. I needed her, she completed me. But… she didn't want to _be like me_. I respected that, but I still wanted to be with her forever. I had been wracking my mind… I loved her, I… I knew it was wrong, too fast, but God I _wanted_ her. Forever. I all but ached with desire.

And even more strongly, I wanted her to be _mine_. Officially.

But what could I do? I was eighteen in human age, she was approaching eighteen herself… so in theory marriage was _legal_…

But what a ludicrous thought! _Marriage._ When the very idea of love was alien to her months ago, how on god's green earth could I even begin to think about _that!_ Stupid… stupid, idiotic even! God, I could ruin our whole relationship.

I'm an idiot, I thought with a scowl, glaring out at the sky from the porch, and utter fool.

"You know… it's very hard to read with such loud and depressing mutterings of self loathing going on."

Kate.

I stood up with a jolt, to see my sister casually leaning against the railing to the porch with a coy smirk. In one hand she held a book, which she quickly snapped shut with an audible click. I must have been really consumed in my own thoughts not to hear her approach.

I said nothing as she walked up next to me and leaned against the porch, staring out at the stars just like me.

"So…" She began, "The big question, huh?"

"Save it." I growled shortly, "She's not ready."

"You are."

"She isn't." I countered. "Especially not now.

"Especially now." Kate said quickly.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means open your eyes!" Kate sighed with exasperation, "That girl loves you with her _whole heart_ and all of her existence! She didn't know anything about what it means to love someone until she met you… and you're doubting whether or not she'd say 'yes', really?" She stamped her foot in irritation.

"Did you just… really stamp your foot?" I asked, amazed.

"Argh! You're impossible. No wonder men think women are complicated, you're on two different wavelengths." Kate grumbled. "And yes, I did."

I chuckled before falling silent and glowering at my shoes, "She wouldn't say yes." I said softly.

"And why do you think that?"

I frowned, "She's… I don't know, Kate, she's… delicate." To this, Kate responded with a loud sarcastic snort, "You know what I mean," I said shortly, "She doesn't like change, emotions… complicated things. She likes… things without long term obligations or commitments, which is why it took so long to convince her to stay with us."

"Do you love her?" Kate asked bluntly.

"Yes, of course." I said quickly, not sure where this was going.

"Would you do anything for her?"

"Yes."

"Would you be happy with anyone else?"

"No."

"Do you want to spend the rest of eternity with her?"

"Only if she wants to spend eternity with me." I snapped sharply, "She isn't exactly one of us Kate!"

"Can. You. Imagine. Your life _without her?_" She ground out just as sharply.

"No." I relented quietly, "No I can't."

"Then… she'll say yes." Kate said softly, placing her hand on my mine, "Trust me brother, I've seen you two together… you're perfect for each other. And yes, she is a bit young, so perhaps a bit of time is needed but there is no doubt in my mind that Rebecca would be thrilled to be your wife."

I was left smiling like a fool on the porch by myself… one thing was for sure though, no matter how long it took I would ask her. I hoped and prayed she'd say yes, I thought, as I returned to the living room where Alice was waiting with a bright smile.

"Can I?" Alice asked, bouncing up and down so quickly that her hair looked like a halo of black.

"Can you what?" I asked.

"Plan the wedding!" She hissed as though it were obvious.

I gaped, "Alice! There… there is no _wedding_!" I whispered the last word and rolled my eyes.

"There will be!" She beamed at me, "Count on that."

_I could tear you apart… but it won't break anything that you are…_

_So don't say your goodbyes you know it's better that way,_

_We won't break,_

_We won't die,_

_It's just a moment of change…_

_All we are, all we are, all we are is everything that's right._

* * *

**AN: Thank you to all my patient readers, I was involved in a rather scary cycling accident three weeks ago and was stuck in the hospital for a while with some injuries. But I'm back now and I'm glad to be writing. I just have to keep my accident prone self healthy from now on!**

**Please remember to review, thanks everyone!**

**-Zeri**


	43. Chapter 42 Perspectives

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

Chapter 42- Perspectives

_Going blind staring out the sun,_

_We feel on top when we come undone,_

_When we're wanting it all,_

_The harder we fall,_

_I can't believe what we've become…_

-Ana Johnsson (The Harder We Fall)

**Alec POV-**

"It's a very precarious circumstance."

"Yes, I see that now." I mused, nodding slightly, "All those years and we never considered her health…" I trailed off, folding my arms across my chest, "I suppose we were so trained into thinking _l'interno, non l'individuo_. It never once crossed my mind that she was so… different." We were trained to think about the group, never the individual.

Carlisle frowned slightly, in what I assumed was mild disapproval. I knew his opinions of the Volturi, as I had known them for many decades. He was a visionary, and had hoped that we would join his ideas, but the Volturi change for no one man. I respected Carlisle, and he respected the Voltrui, though neither was willing to change for each other.

It was odd to keep having to remind myself that I was no longer a Volturi.

In many ways, I found myself oddly lonesome, the guard were not necessarily my family, but they were my companions. That was the thing about the guard, we kept to ourselves. It took Rebecca, and Felix, even Heidi, for me to see that this solitude was much of what the masters wanted.

Sense of self… was never important either, but rather obedience, above all else. I wandered about, considering the many vast aspects of my past I had for so long disregarded. Things that didn't matter when I was a Volturi. Why would my human past matter if humans were such an inferior race? Why should I care enough about others to act on their behalf if I was part of the crowned royalty of all species? But… I was once human, and the thought puzzled me. For, if I was once human, what should I think of how we treated human beings? These thoughts would never before have entered my mind, nor had I ever considered Rebecca particularly special in her nature. To me, though she was always dear to me, she was just another vampire. Why had that been? How could I have ignored such obvious facts?

"Alec."

"Heidi." I responded tonelessly, her voice had been soft and fond. Heidi was my friend, I thought, my lip twitching, how had Rebecca seen that? She had always told me… we were… friends.

That girl changed everything in my existence, I thought, clenching and unclenching my hands, as if my entire being was different know that I wasn't part of the Volturi machine.

"Are… are you alright, Alec?" She asked, I could practically picture her shifting uncomfortably behind me. The thought made me amused slightly.

"Perfectly." I muttered, pursing my lips.

"Walk with me." She proposed, in that friendly yet firm tone in which she always does. I sighed quietly before following her. "_Andiamo tesoro_." She clucked, complaining about my shuffling pace, I rolled my eyes.

Only a short walk into the woods, we stopped at a cliff ledge overlooking the highway that led into the small human colony dubbed Forks. I laughed each time I thought about it. Of course, it was a tiny town, but Felix had originally mistakenly called it a colony of humans.

Heidi pursed her lips, "Alec, surely you're aware we have some things to figure out." She said rapidly. "You and I… we both know, even Felix knows, that we cannot stay here with the Cullens. We are not their family."

"Of course." I nodded, "Though I see no point in rushing, I want to make sure that Rebecca heals completely. I… I feel bad about what happened." I admitted carefully, "Of all people, I should have seen Corin coming."

Heidi sighed and folded herself into a seated position on a fallen log, "We all feel the blame rests with us, she's dear to us all."

I opened my mouth to speak, but paused. How could I phrase what I felt… speaking my emotions was new to me. "I love her… like my sister. But it's odd. Because Jane and I were always supposed to be so loyal… thanks to Chelsea. She was so focused on making us loyal to the Guard… that she destroyed our bond as siblings in the process. I feel very little for Jane… besides a strong friendship and a sense of protectiveness. I would never attack her, as she did to me…"

"So it's Jane that's bothering you."

"Both, really."

"We'll figure it out."

"We always do." I smiled slightly.

**Jane POV-**

The castle was in shambles.

Walls reduced to rubble, ornate and irreplaceable antiques destroyed, all the tunnels conveniently flooded, and the water seeping up to the first floor as a battered Santiago worked to reseal to dams. That was all superficial damage, but as far as the Volturi was concerned… it was the _first_ real damage ever done to us. Especially on our home turf.

I felt… dazed walking through the hallways. As if everything around me had… died, which was odd because I had no qualms about death. However, I now felt as if something key to my existence had vanished into thin air, and as someone who prides themselves on needing no one and no one thing, it was a deeply wounding feeling.

Everyone was solemn. Everything had taken on a darker long.

There was a list now, a list of the dead, the wounded… and the deserters.

Among those injured were Chelsea and Demitri, Chelsea so weak and battered, her gift had failed her, and Corin… Corin was… gone. The loss was staggering, Corin and Renata were two highly respected guards. Now we were gathering up their pieces. There had never been a funeral at Volterra before.

Alec… my own brother! My head spun for a nasty turn, for the first time in my eternal life, I braced myself against the wall to prevent nausea from seizing control of my balance. He was my other half, the only one who understood me. How could he have betrayed me?

I was beyond answers.

"Jane," I turned sharply and glowered at the intruder, but quickly lowered my gaze when I saw it was Marcus.

"Master." I dead-panned.

"Think not so harshly on these events," He said softly, which was unusual for him, "the caged soul may forget it's wings but it never forgets it's desire to fly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I hissed in frustration.

He looked at me pointedly, "There is more than surface meaning, dear Jane, and while it would not be wise for me to embrace the decisions that were made here today I am not so foolish as to disregard them as total idiocy."

I was silent.

"You're… agreeing with them?"

"No. But I sympathize with their situation."

"Why?" I demanded.

"Imagine if you spent your whole life taking orders, and never fulfilling your own desires. Suddenly you have to opportunity to, and though the road to happiness is long and harsh, you reach a place where you are truly loved. Would you want to leave?" He reasoned.

"We do not need love, we are the Guard!" I shot back, feeling rather defensive.

"_We_ are the Guard, indeed. Rebecca was a hybrid, never an immortal. She is a child, with her own dreams and a long life ahead of her full of fantastical opportunities. She has the right to yearn for them."

"She was weak." I croaked.

"We are all weak, but when we deny this we are foolish."

"Are you calling me a fool?"

"Do you deny that you have weaknesses?"

I growled sharply and turned away from him, walking quickly down the hallway away from him and the confusion he brought me.

"Or are you just unwilling to accept there is a reality greater than the confines of this castle?" He called after me as I broke into a run.

The world within the castle was falling apart.

**Rebecca POV-**

"You know she never really hated you, right?" He asked me seriously, but his voice was kind.

I sighed, "I don't know… I just don't know, Felix." I muttered, running my good hand through my hair, the other still had an ace wrap around it to support my wrist, "I mean… sure, it would be wonderful for me to believe she still thinks of me like a little sister, but I'm sure you can understand why I don't really believe that."

He frowned and leaned onto his elbows on the table. I sipped my tea idly, "Well…" He started, "it's not in her nature to forgive."

I narrowed my eyes slightly, "Nor is it mine and yet I don't torture my friends."

"Did any of your friends betray your trust recently and skip out on you for two years?" Felix countered.

"You understand my point." I shot back.

"And you understand mine?"

I set my tea-cup down as I saw the waiter approaching. Felix's stare was boring into my mind as the overly eager man approached.

"Can I get you two anything?" He asked, and I replied without looking away from Felix.

"We're all set." I replied warmly, breaking Felix's stare briefly to shoot the man a pleased smile. He walked away with a nod. I turned back to my brother, "And for your information, it was not all rainbows and happiness after I left Volterra, thank you very much."

"Exactly!" He exclaimed, catching me off guard.

"Exactly _what?_"

"You have a story, Bex," Felix said, suddenly very eager, "That's what I've been trying to get at, you've got your experiences that shape the way you act and you don't necessarily share them with others because they're private."

"So?" I interrupted.

"So Jane's got that too."

"You're defending her actions." I rationalized with a frown.

"I'm understanding them, _cara_, I… sympathize with her. Her past was rather horrific." He said sadly, "She was very young to be changed… and she met a fate near a mirror of yours, but at the height of the witch-burning craze in central Italy. It was a bad time to be different. They did terrible things to Jane and Alec."

I bowed my head slightly, I had always known there was a dodgy story behind Jane's bitterness but I wouldn't have thought of it as something as terrible as being burned… as child.

"That's why they have the powers they do, you know. Jane 'died' in burning pain, wanting to turn it back on those who caused it, and Alec… well, he wished desperately to numb his poor sister's pain. He despaired for her, and he greatly loves her… but he follows his heart." Felix murmured.

"He left her." I said sadly, "And I was the reason." I groaned in realization.

"He was hoping she would follow." Felix smiled solemnly at me in that odd smile that was bitter-sweet, like he was deep in thought.

"But then why…?" I started to ask. I couldn't understand Jane, and I wanted to know how I had so badly hurt her because I wanted to set it right. Recently, I'd made that a pattern, trying to set things right.

"Jane… she loved, no, she lived for Aro's approval, it was everything she wanted. She was always searching for it, she desperately needed to feel like she was doing right thing. At least, what was right in Aro's eyes, and that became what was right in her eyes as well. So you can imagine, I hope," He eyed me, "The storm of confusion she felt when you left. You were Aro's favorite, and though she was slightly miffed by that, she respected it. And to her, you threw it in her face like it was dirt."

"Because it was." I growled lowly.

"That's not the point of all this, Bex!" Felix said, his voice rising with exasperation.

"Well it is _to me_." I snapped back, "You don't get it," My voice dropped suddenly, "it's not about me feeling bad for her, it's about me knowing how corrupt and totally screwed in the mind the Guard is! It's about me knowing that they don't mind torturing each other if Aro tells them to." I could feel my eyes watering, "It's about me knowing my _entire childhood was a LIE!_" I trembled slightly in place, leaning forward to glare at Felix.

But I didn't want to be mad at him, and with a sharp growl I slumped back into my chair and rubbed my temples.

"I'm sorry." I croaked, "That didn't come out like I meant it to."

"It's alright." Felix said softly, also sitting back and eyeing me carefully.

"Ah… god, please stop saying it's alright." I sighed, wrapping my arms around my shoulders.

"It's not?" He asked.

"No." I murmured quietly, "It's not."

Felix stared at me silently, expectantly.

"I… I'm all torn up about this Felix, and I don't know what to do. Part of me just wants this to be over and I know it's not. I feel terrible about Jane but I can't bring myself to forgive the rest of them. And Dylan… I don't want to drag him or any of the Cullens into any more train-wrecks, I just want to be happy."

"Things will be easier now, Bex," Felix said seriously, leaning forward and folding his hands together like he was making a solemn vow, "I promise you they will."

I smiled, "I believe you."

**Dylan POV-**

I moved silently, with ease and strength. Clearing my head had always been easiest at night time, with the darkness to conceal all the frivolous vanities of life. I inhaled the scents of the forest, the earth, until I could smell every warm and enticing scent the forest had to offer me. Except… I turned sharply, a putrid and burning smell tainting the otherwise perfect forest.

"Hey." Jacob Black said passively with a tip of his head as he all but appeared beside me. I wasn't slow, I just found him to be incredibly silent with his movements. This disturbed me slightly, as he was supposed to be my natural enemy.

"Jacob." I responded, scanning the forest for the herd of elk I had been following until I had been interrupted. He may have earned Rebecca's trust… but I was more cautious of his kind.

I'll never be able to forget how haunted she looked when she first arrived in Forks, even if it hadn't been for the wolves attacking her, she was half starved to death, sleepless, and ill.

He remained silent and did not move. I growled almost silently.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you why vampires hunt alone… out in the middle of nowhere… at night?" I snapped impatiently.

"Eh." He shrugged, grating on my nerves.

"Why are you here?" I ground out, feeling extremely annoyed because all scent of my potential meal was now fading quickly with the wind.

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes. It does! For two reasons, one because I could have easily attacked you because I was _hunting_, and two… since I'm talking to you, what I've been tracking has scampered off and the wind's blow the scent off."

"Cranky." Jacob snorted, "Yeah, those are some serious problems you got there. Generally my food doesn't run away from me."

"Yes, it's pretty annoying." I grumbled, kicking at the dirt, "So if you don't mind-"

"Rebecca left." Jake cut me off and I froze, mid-step into a run that would set me far away from him and his stench.

"What?" I asked, turning around quickly.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were leaving." Jacob said nonchalantly. I growled, he enjoyed getting on my nerves.

"Where. Did. Rebecca. Go?" I demanded.

"Oh, are you concerned? See, because when she told me it wasn't a big deal, you know? Because we're friends. But you're always all uptight. Kind of reminds of me of the blonde one, especially because you weren't ever really known for your control-"

I laughed darkly, "Jacob Black," I chuckled, "I don't really have time for this. I know you don't like me, and honestly… I don't like you that much either. I don't really trust you, but Rebecca does and I respect that. And she's everything to me. So tell me where she is."

"Speaking with Felix, she's trying to find some answers." Jacob said pursing his lips.

To that, I had no answer. I knew she was hurting, and utterly confused. My respect for her was very deep, the conflict of being both human and immortal would have torn me apart were I her. So many complications she'd endured, I yearned to make it all stop for her.

"I hope she finds them." Jacob tacked on.

I sighed quietly, "That is what I pray for, for her." I murmured, glancing up at the darkened sky. "For closure, for truth and happiness."

"You, pray for something?" He snorted. "That's ironic."

"Not really." I said simply, "I was not necessarily devout in my human life… but I had faith that there is some higher power out there. Or at least, I pray, and in praying I am hoping and trying to channel my hopes to be heard." I paused, "Rebecca was a golden cross around her neck. You see no irony in that? Or that she believes in God?"

"She was raised by Roman Catholic parents…" Jacob said awkwardly.

"She is half vampire."

"Yeah, and half human." He argued.

"Are you saying that one side nullifies the other?" I sneered, "That you can call her what you like depending on her mood? That now, as a friend, you think of her as more human, but were you to be upset with her you would call her a leach!" I ground out at him.

"I never said I understood her." He folded his arms over his chest.

"No. You wouldn't."

"What did you say?"

"I said you wouldn't! And how could you, you're knowledge of our kind is limited, Jacob Black, and there is much more than you could imagine. Look beyond the mask of what you have been taught, this life is not an easy one and of all of us, the hardest burdened are Jasper, Rebecca and Rosalie. Two of whom you do not respect, the final only because she is partially human.

"Eternity…" I could feel my anger, my tension and my stress and bitterness, all my aggression, my instinct to protect her and despise for the world we were both a part of reverberating in my mind like an air horn, "is an excruciatingly long time. Human beings change, that is their constant. We cannot and we never will. We are separated, surrounded by a world of darkness, death and the cycle of power, fear and tyranny. You have mere glimpses, but the world beneath the façade is terrifying I assure you."

There was a long silence and I exhaled, trying to steady myself. I approached him more calmly,

"For the Cullen's standards I am young, and Rebecca is even younger, but she has seen more and experienced more than many human lives strung together." I said seriously.

"That… that I get, and that's why I came here." He said earnestly, "Look, I know you don't trust my kind in general… but with what happened with the Volturi…"

"That had nothing to do with you." I said shortly.

"We have to trust each other." He stated bluntly, leaning back with an expression that was so beyond his years I was taken by surprise. I felt a greater respect for him them, knowing that I was among his least favorite Cullens to be around.

"She trusts you," I said cautiously, "And I respect that."

"I feel like this isn't over." Jake said seriously, "There's some part of me, maybe it's instinct, but something just doesn't feel right, and it's driving me crazy to think that I'm missing something."

"I know what you mean." I muttered. "It's not over… it's just a new beginning."

"Yeah." Jake sighed and hunched his shoulders.

I turned, ready to pursue my meal again and Jacob turned back towards the house.

"Thank you." I said abruptly, "For what you've done for Rebecca. And for coming here to speak with me."

"Thanks for listening." He smiled so that it was almost a smirk before turning to jog off lazily back in the direction of the road. I shook my head, teenagers…

**Heidi POV-**

I was watching most everyone carefully. I was concerned.

For Rebecca, for myself and Alec and Felix. Our situation was unknown, and that was a relatively scary thought.

"Squeeze my hand if you need to, _cara,_" I cooed to the girl who I watched grow as Carlisle carefully removed the cast on her arm. I had watched her grow up, I had taught her. Felix helped her escape, and she set us free.

"I'm okay." She said, pursing her lips.

There was a loud crack and the final bits of fiber glass were free from her arm. Rebecca weighed it curiously and I watched her with fascination. I had always longed to be a doctor, but my time period would never allow for a woman to do such things.

"You don't need to act so brave, _mia figlia._" I chuckled, looking down at her best stiff upper lip determination face that still resembled a little girl that I had seen since she was eight.

"_Si mama_." She smiled wryly. With a look of curiosity, and with encouragement from Carlisle she flexed her arm, first her fingers and then her wrist. She stared at it with confusion, like someone trying to re-learn how to use their limb.

"The ligaments and tendons are stiff… much more than a human's would be from being immobilized for a handful of days, but then again… you are quiet unique."

Her expression was a soft almost shy one of a smile and uncertainty. When had she become so… ah, for this I did not have a word. But she was so changed, so much older. More fierce, more angry and bitter, and yet stronger, and slowly becoming kinder again, re-discovering her heart and being ever so cautious with it. Again, I was thankful I was able to see her grow up, and then see her after we were separated.

Life takes unexpected turns, so much so that I come to brush them off and accept them as common. Change is constant in a human world where the in-human must live and hide. But I often reflected on how things would have played out differently had I acted more… human. Had I once been kinder or more forgiving in my tactics as a Guard, and perhaps made some of my own decisions rather than following the universal code I was restricted to.

Yes, there are many places in which I life can change, I mused… smiling at Rebecca as she beamed with such joy and light being healed that she practically radiated warmth.

Perhaps she did, such is the nature of a fiery spirit.

And the shadow of the day,

Will embrace the world in grey,

And the sun will set for you.

_Boyce Avenue cover of Shadow Of A Day_

* * *

**AN- *clears throat*- umm, yeah, sorry about the wait everyone. Terrible case of writer's block, but I think I've just about worked it out. Hope everyone is having a nice summer! **

**Please review!**

**Toodles, ~Zeri**


End file.
